A 3D-printed skull has been described as “pivotal” in securing the murder convictions of four men.
The pioneering model was created by the University of Portsmouth to show the injuries suffered by Frazer Brabant.
The 31-year-old was attacked in a garden in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on 31 October 2019.
The dad-of-two was found lying in a front garden with serious head injuries.
He had been struck multiple times with a heavy, sharp-edged object described as a machete or sword-type weapon.
At least one of the blows caused catastrophic brain damage.
Brabant spent three months in hospital before he died in January 2020.
Hospital CT scans of his injury were used to reconstruct the skull.
The model – created by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Imaging Unit – helped the jury to visualise the victim’s injuries.
It formed a key piece of evidence during the eight-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.
Five men were jailed for the attack.
Forhad Miah, 32, Scott Neale, 35, James O’Connor, 25, and Lee Wood, 32 were convicted of murder on 7 June 2023.
Another – Ricky Lewis, 40 – was convicted of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
“I attended the trial and saw the pathologist use the model to help guide the jury through the injuries sustained by the victim,” said Morgan Lowther, senior scientific officer from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Mechanical and Design Engineering.
“He was able to demonstrate the order in which the blows were likely to have occurred, whether they’d come at the same angle, and whether they would have come from the same assailant or the same weapon.
“The jurors were allowed to handle the model and take it into the deliberation room. I think it was a valuable piece of evidence to help them understand the severity of the attack.”
Detective Sergeant Dan Hunt said the skull was “pivotal” to the case going to court.
He added: “This case was very complex and built over many years.
“This assisted us greatly in achieving justice for Frazer Brabant, his family and helped put offenders behind bars.”
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