Holly Newton suffered multiple wounds in Hexham stabbing

Dr Bolton, a Home Office-accredited forensic pathologist, said she carried out a post-mortem examination of Holly the day after she was killed.

She detailed 36 injuries all caused by a knife, including a stab wound to Holly’s face, three to her head and several through her back.

Dr Bolton said there were 12 stab wounds in total, five so-called “defensive wounds” on Holly hands and 19 other cuts all caused by the knife.

She said one of the stabbings cut the jugular veins behind Holly’s shoulder blade which would have been an “unsurvivable” injury and caused the catastrophic blood loss leading to her death.

Another had pierced her lung, the court heard.

The pathologist said she “could not say in absolute terms” how much force was used, but the minimum amount needed to cause some of the injuries was “severe at least”.

The court heard Holly fell unconscious during the attack and was declared dead about an hour and a half later at hospital.

The defendant also denies wounding another youth who was injured while trying to save Holly.

The trial continues.