Family had 'major hammer wounds'

Kesha, her mother and her brother suffered catastrophic injuries

A mother and her two children who were bludgeoned to death with a 2lb hammer suffered catastrophic head injuries, a court has heard.

The bodies of Beverley Samuels, 36, and her 18-year-old daughter Kesha Wizzart and son Fred Wizzart were found at the family home in Manchester last July.

Mrs Samuels and Fred's skulls had been fractured and Kesha's ear shattered, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Pierre Williams, 33, from Birmingham, denies three counts of murder.

Mr Williams also denies two further counts of sexually assaulting Mrs Samuels and her daughter.

Multiple fractures

Pathologist Dr Naomi Carter, told the court she had found 35 separate injuries when examining the three bodies.

None of the injuries appeared to "defensive", where they may have tried to fend off their attacker, she told the jury.

Mrs Samuels, a nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary, received "catastrophic" brain injuries after suffering at least seven blows to the head at her house in Thelwall Avenue, Fallowfield, the court heard.

Pierre Williams was arrested by police in Birmingham

She had also suffered a fractured jaw and cheekbone.

The court was told Fred had been hit on his head at least seven times, also suffering "catastrophic" brain damage, cuts and grazing as well as a series of skull fractures.

In addition, he had suffered a broken cheekbone that may have been consistent with his head "bouncing" on the laminate floor as he was being struck, Dr Carter said.

Deep bruising under the youngster's shoulder blade was likely to have been caused by a blow to the back, she added.

The pathologist also told the court that Kesha had suffered eight injuries and a minimum of four blows and that bruising on her wrists indicated she was alive when she was tied up with her own bra.

The trial continues