Pathologist in B.C. murder trial defends independence, impartiality

Photo: The Canadian Press

The pathologist who performed the autopsy on the body of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a Burnaby, B.C., park defended his impartiality as an expert during cross-examination in the murder trial. Media wait outside B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A pathologist who performed an autopsy on the body of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a park defended his impartiality as an expert during cross-examination in the murder trial of Ibrahim Ali.

Dr. Jason Morin's assertion came after Ali's defence lawyer suggested he was not an independent witness, works closely with police and his testimony was being "directed by the Crown."

Morin denied the suggestion, telling the B.C. Supreme Court jury that his involvement with the Crown relates solely to his expertise.

Ali pleaded not guilty last month to first-degree murder.

The body of the girl, who cannot be identified under the terms of a publication ban, was found in Burnaby's Central Park in July 2017, just hours after her mother reported her missing.

Morin previously told the jury that his autopsy determined the teen died after being strangled, which had caused blood vessels in her eyes and face to burst.