A MEDICAL expert has dismissed claims that a North-East father who died after suffering 21 rib fractures sustained the injuries while out walking.

Peter Good, an accident and emergency consultant, was giving evidence at the trial of three people accused of killing Andrew Gardner, on March 13, last year.

Mr Gardner, 35, is said to have been beaten, burned, whipped and slashed in the weeks before he died at the home he shared with his alleged killers in Arthur Street, Chilton, County Durham.

His girlfriend, Clare Nicholls, 28, her brother, Simon Nicholls, 24, and former lover, Steven Martin, 44, deny murder and are facing a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

The defendants say Mr Gardner returned from a walk claiming to have been assaulted by a gang, stripped off, lay down on the floor and fell into unconsciousness.

Mr Nicholls later confessed to concocting the story to hide the truth.

The jury heard that Mr Gardner had sustained more than 100 injuries, and some fractures, believed by experts to be up to 14 days old, had started to heal only to be broken again.

Toxicology reports show Mr Gardener had a low level of paracetamol in his system when he died and Mr Good told the jury on Friday that he would have been in excruciating pain.

Mr Good said: “I am of the opinion that it would have been impossible for him to leave the house.”

Mr Good accepted that fractured ribs which were starting to heal could be broken quite easily, but he said the original force needed was consistent with a fall against a blunt object.

The case continues.