THE Carlisle hospital security guard on trial for murder appeared to vomit as he listened to evidence of his alleged victim’s injuries.

Jack Crawley, 20, was listening to the evidence of Home Office pathologist Dr Matt Cieka, who was providing a detailed analysis of multiple bone fractures that were found on the skull of 56-year-old Paul Taylor.

His "skeletal" remains were found in a shallow grave at Finglandrigg Nature Reserve, west of Carlisle, after Crawley told police where to find them.

During Dr Cieka’s evidence, Crawley was watching digital images of Mr Taylor’s badly damaged skull and facial bones on a court TV screen, which depicted ten distinct fractures – many of them showing what the pathologist said were curvatures in the holes what were left by the impacts.

They could have been caused by a weapon such as a claw hammer, said Dr Cieka.

It was at 10.38am, as the pathologist was being asked about a fracture to the right side of Mr Taylor's skull, that Crawley suddenly appeared to be sick.

He  was quickly escorted out of the glass-fronted dock and into a back room by security staff. The pathologist continued giving his evidence before the jury as dock staff used sheets of tissue paper to cover what looked like vomit.

Crawley returned to his seat in the dock after five minutes and resumed listening to the pathology evidence.

After telling the jury the depressed fracture injuries found on Mr Taylor’s skull could have been caused by a hammer – due to the “curved” nature of the bone breaks and the way bone was “punched into” the skull’s interior, Dr Cieka said: “I have seen many cases where skulls have been impacted with hammers, unfortunately.

“That is the kind of curve; these are in cases where it’s been confirmed that a hammer was used.”

The jury next heard from York Police intelligence analyst Tom Wright, who took the court through a timeline of Crawley’s movements up to the point on January 5 when he allegedly tried to murder a man in York.

There was evidence of him buying a sim card in the Tesco Express in Union Street, Glasgow, before travelling to Aberdeen and buying an iPhone 7 on January 2. He sold the shop manager his Samsung phone for £20.

Crawley then travelled to Edinburgh.

The jury heard that on March 12, the defendant admitted possessing an offensive weapon – a claw hammer – on January 5, the day of the alleged attempted murder in York. He also admitted burgling a home in the city.

He stole clothing, including shoes, a rucksack, a portable phone charger.

Crawley, of Sheehan Crescent, Raffles, Carlisle, has admitted the manslaughter of Mr Taylor, from Annan, suggesting that he was injured when he fell during an “altercation.”

He denies murder.

Crawley also denies attempting to murder a man in York on January 5, claiming he used a hammer in self-defence after being threatened and an alternative charge of wounding the man, with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

His co-defendant, Marcus Goodfellow, 20, of Greystone Road, Carlisle, denies assisting an offender” by helping Crawley to dispose of Mr Taylor’s car after he died and while knowing that the Crawley had committed an arrestable offence.

The trial continues.