Goforth murder trial told of litany of injuries found on child, 4

A doctor specializing in child abusetold a Regina murder trial that afour-year-oldgirlwas covered with cuts, bruises, and scabs when she was examined in2012.

Jury members in the trial of Tammy and Kevin Goforth, which is now in its second week,heard testimony Monday from Dr. Sharon Leibel.

She'sa Regina physician who for 23 years, court heard, hasbeen documenting information in cases in which child abuse is suspected.

She was called the daythe four-year-old girl was brought to the hospital in2012.

"Skin over skeleton," was the way Leibel described the girl she saw.

She described multiplebruises and injuries on the girl'shead and neck.

That included a scab andbruising her lips, a black bruise on her cheek, a red-purple mark on her chin and amatching one on her upper chest.

Leibel went on to describebruising in both of thegirl's armpits and legs, as well asinjuries around her wrists.

She also describedspots of raw skin on her back.

"Essentially it looked like her little back had been buckshot," Leibel said.

Court heard previously that the girlwas suffering from malnutrition and dehydration andwas in cardiac arrest when she arrived at the hospital. Shewas taken off life support about a day later, on Aug. 2, 2012.

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• Goforth trial Day 5: Girl, 4, who died was just 'skin and bone': doctor

During the testimony, the defence lawyers objected multiple times when Leibel was speaking about what may have caused some of the girls' injuries.

"You're asking me to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but I can't explain a medical finding," Leibel said in response to the objections.

Cross-examination

During the brief cross-examination, the doctor was questioned on whether she was using objective medical terms or feelings to describe the injuries.

In her notes, Leibel had wrote the word "horrifying".

Monday's gruesome testimony took a toll on the girl's mother, who criedthroughout the proceedings.

The Goforthsare also accused of injuring the girl's younger sister, 2.Both children had been in the care of the Goforths since late 2011.

Key events prior to trial of Regina couple accused of killing a girl and harming her younger sister

9 years ago

Duration 1:00

Here is a timeline of key events that occurred prior to the trial of Kevin and Tammy Goforth. The Regina couple is charged with killing a girl, 4, and harming her sister.

In previous testimony, jurors heard that the two children were in seven different homes in 18 months after being taken into care by officials in 2010.

The trial before Queen's BenchJustice Ellen Gunn and a juryis expected to continue through this week and the next.