A doctor who examined a police officer who said she was stamped on by Sheku Bayoh has told the inquiry into his death the woman did not complain of pain in her side.
PC Nicole Short earlier told the inquiry she suffered “searing pain” in the minutes following the attack.
She was taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital and seen at 8.20am, an hour after the alleged attack.
Dr Katherine Mitchell said the incident was not mentioned to her during the medical consultation.
The year-five trainee emergency medicine specialist said she “couldn’t see any reason why I wouldn’t have made a note of it”, adding it was an important part of the medical history.
She said: “It would have been (important) because then it would have alerted you to the fact that there was potentially an injury affecting her right hand side or her back.”
PC Craig Walker and DC Ashley Tomlinson both told the inquiry they saw Mr Bayoh stamp on PC Short.
However, eyewitness Kevin Nelson said in his evidence this was “not possible”.
Officers examined by forensic expert
The hearing also heard from forensic medical examiner Dr Gillian Norrie, who examined officers following the incident, something she described as “very unusual”.
Dr Norrie was brought in to document any injuries suffered by officers during the incident on Hayfield Road in May 2015.
She said while taking a medical history at Kirkcaldy police station at 3.45pm that day, PC Short told her she had been stamped on.
She found no injury to the region while carrying out a “thorough” top to toe examination.
She said if she had had any clinical concerns about PC Short she would have sent her back to A&E.
Dr Norrie said: “At the time I saw her there was nothing to document in terms of injury to this area.”
However, she added PC Short could have gone on to develop bruising.
She said: “It might not be evident immediately, sometimes it evolves over one or two days and will actually develop into a bruise.”
Examined ‘fight’ injuries
She was also asked to examine Zahid Saeed, a friend of Sheku Bayoh, with whom he had had a physical fight prior to his death, according to his evidence.
She noted Mr Saeed had six different injuries, including bruising to his face and a graze to the back of his hand, which she said could possibly be a defensive injury.
In her written statement to PIRC, Dr Norrie was asked if Mr Saeed’s injuries matched his account of events.
She responded: “”He’s obviously received some trauma to the face, so he could have been hit.
“That would marry up.”
PIRC ‘confrontational’
In her statement to the inquiry, Dr Norrie added she was interviewed by PIRC in 2018 but found their approach to be “confrontational”.
She said: “They were not quite suggesting answers but it was possibly slightly intimidating.
“I was quite surprised by the line of questioning.
“It’s not really my role to be cross-examining patients.
“I’m there in a capacity to do a forensic examination and to assess a patient’s wellbeing, physically and mentally.”
She added it was not for her to doubt the word of her patients.
The inquiry before Lord Bracadale continues.
Sergeant in charge ‘hugged and reassured’ officers following death of Sheku Bayoh
