Moors girl died in knife attack

Ronald Castree denies murdering Lesley Molseed

A young girl murdered in a "frenzied attack" on moorland more than 30 years ago suffered multiple stab wounds to her heart and lung, a pathologist said.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court heard how 11-year-old Lesley Molseed went missing from her home in Rochdale in October 1975.

She was found dead three days later on moors near Ripponden between Yorkshire and Manchester.

Ronald Castree, 54, from Shaw, Oldham denies her murder.

An innocent man, tax clerk Stefan Kiszko, was wrongly convicted of her murder, and spent 16 years in jail for a crime he did not commit, the jury heard.

Forensic pathologist Professor Christopher Milroy took the court in detail through the 12 stab wounds which the youngster had suffered.

He was giving evidence on the second day of Ronald Castree's trial. Mr Castree is accused of murdering Lesley after snatching her as she ran an errand for her mother.

As Lesley's mother April Garrett watched in the public gallery, Prof Milroy took the jury through the report of the original pathologist, Professor David Gee, who conducted the 1975 post-mortem examination but has subsequently died.

Professor Gee first examined Lesley's body where it was found on the moors 30 to 40 yards from the A672 Oldham to Ripponden road, close to the M62 motorway.

Prof Milroy told the court there were 12 stab wounds to the body.

He said "I would give the cause of death a multiple stabs wounds."

Lesley Molseed's body was found between Yorkshire and Manchester

"She has died because the stab wounds involved the heart, the aorta and the left lung."

The pathologist said it appeared Lesley was attacked where she was found and probably on the day she was abducted.

He said the most likely weapon was a knife, about 2.5 inches (63.5mm) long.

Blows to her chest appeared "targeted not random" and were delivered with "severe force".

The jury was told how DNA taken from Castree has been found to be an exact match with DNA taken from sperm found on Lesley's underwear.