By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 21 August 2025: The late Sinavaiana Dr. Caroline Gabbard’s died from severe traumatic injuries according to Pathologist Dr. James Kalougivaki who gave evidence via a zoom link from Fiji yesterday.

Kalougivaki is the head of the Fiji Police Forensic Unit and he conducted a postmortem on Sinaivaiana and he described to the court a series of different injuries on the head and body of the deceased.

He said there were fractured circular injuries to the skull from a blunt round object such as the head of the hammer, injuries to the upper limb, skin, scalp and her left arm was in a deformed state.

He said despite the deep wounds which are measured at 20 to 22mm deep, it did not affect the dure which is the outer layer surrounding the brain.

He also described the decayed and decomposed condition the body was in when he conducted the postmortem; the odour and the discharges that continued to come out of the body.

Also detected on the body were what he termed “defensive injuries” indicating that the deceased was trying to protect herself from the assault.

Overall, the depth of the injuries, the multiple fractured injuries to the head, ruled that Sinavaiana died from severe traumatic injuries to her head.

Dr. James Kalougivaki is one of the police witnesses in trial of Papalii Sia Figiel accused of Dr. Caroline Gabbard’s murder at Vaivase in mid 2024. The last police witness will give evidence on 11 September 2025 as she will arrive in Samoa on 6 September 2025.