A MAN who died after a knife attack suffered ten stab wounds, one of which fatally reached his heart, a court heard.

The trial into four people charged with the murder of Lee Chapman entered its second day at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

The 26-year-old died after suffering stab wounds in Cromer Road, Southend on March 6 this year.

Sarah Wahid, 45, of High Road, Grays, Tyrell Thompson, 24, of Kingston Road, Wimbledon, plus a 17 and 16-year-old boy from Southend, all deny his murder.

Giving evidence yesterday, Dr Benjamin Swift, the pathologist who examined Mr Chapman’s body, told the court he had suffered ten stab wounds.

Dr Swift also detailed how Mr Chapman had several blunt force injuries to his body, including several to his shins and thighs.

The court had previously heard how Mr Chapman had fallen over after he was attacked.

Dr Swift said two of the stab wounds had inflicted fatal wounds to Mr Chapman - one causing a lung to collapse, and one which reached his heart.

The injury to Mr Chapman’s right lung caused it to collapse, and the knife also cut through the diaphragm, the main muscle for breathing.

On the wound to Mr Chapman’s heart, Dr Swift said: “There was a stab wound to the front of the chest of 3.7cm by 1cm. There was a small purple bruise, possibly caused by the impact of a handle.

“It was either the front edge of the handle, or the hand holding the handle striking against the skin.

“It implies the blade could have been inserted all the way to the handle.”

Dr Swift said the knife had gone through costal cartilage and penetrated Mr Chapman’s heart, and that the wound was seven to eight centimetres deep.

He added: “Associated with this wound was [the loss of] 2.5 litres of blood.”

Dr Swift also revealed that Mr Chapman had been stabbed in the arm.

Jane Bickerstaff QC, prosecuting, asked Dr Swift: “You didn’t find any evidence of natural disease that could contribute to the death, did you?”

Dr Swift replied that there had been no evidence of any disease in Mr Chapman.

Dr Swift added that another wound on the back of Mr Chapman’s right hand represented what could have been a “defence injury” which could have been caused by him holding up his hand to block a knife.

Dr Swift concluded that Mr Chapman’s death would have come “in minutes” without any resuscitation efforts.

Mr Chapman was treated by emergency services at the scene but later died in hospital in the early hours of March 7.

The trial, which is expected to last approximately six weeks, continues.