A pathologist has testified at the murder trial of Kelly Ellard that Reena Virk's death was due to drowning. But Dr. Laurel Gray also told the court that had the 14-year-old not drowned, she may not have survived a serious head injury.

In November 1997, Virk was swarmed and beaten by a group of teenagers under the Craigflower Bridge near Victoria, B.C.

She was beaten a second time and drowned a short time later on the other side of the bridge.

Reena Virk

Gray performed the autopsy on Virk. She described the extent of her injuries, which she said included severe bruising over her entire skull, forehead, ears and cheeks.

Her brain was swollen and there was an imprint of a running shoe on her head, consistent with a stomping or a kick.

The pathologist also found severe bruising to Virk's pelvis, stomach, liver and pancreas. Gray found pebbles lodged in Virk's throat, which she says, is consistent with someone drowning face down in shallow water.

Kelly Ellard

The Crown maintains that after Virk was swarmed and beaten by a group of teenagers under the Craigflower Bridge, she was followed to the other side by Warren Glowatski and Kelly Ellard. It was there, the Crown says, Virk was attacked and beaten again, dragged into the water and drowned by Ellard.

Dr. Gray said there is no way Virk could have sustained such severe injuries and then walked across the bridge. She says Virk would have been unconscious, or in so much pain she wouldn't have been able to move.

Gray also testified that if Virk hadn't drowned it was unlikely she would have survived her brain injury.

Ellard has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder.

The defence will call its first witness when the trial resumes on Monday.