A MURDER victim died after being “repeatedly struck” “at least 10 times” with a hammer, a court has heard.

Paul May, 46, from Great Wakering, was found dead in a flat in London Road on February 13.

Abir Miah, 44, of London Road, Westcliff, is standing trial at Basildon Crown Court charged with murdering Mr May.

Yesterday a consultant pathologist told the jury Mr May suffered multiple fractures to his skull in the attack.

He said: “He was certainly repeatedly struck and it was at least 10 times.

“He was struck by a heavy blunt object with a rounded head. The injuries are typical of a round head of a hammer being used as a weapon. The cause of death was severe blunt force head injuries.

“There were three areas of the top of the head which has split skin caused by blunt impact. One exposed broken skull below it and was the full thickness of the scalp.

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“There were fractures of the skull below the injury to the forehead. There was a fracture to the right cheek bone, a couple of fractures to the ribs and a significant and extensive fracture to the left shoulder blade.”

Earlier in the week Christine Agnew, prosecuting, told the court blood from the victim was found on clothing and a hammer discovered at Miah’s mother’s east London home days after the killing.

She also told the court that Miah and Mr May were well known to each other, and addicted to Class A drugs.

Speaking yesterday the pathologist added: “Toxicology results showed prior heroin use and he was known to abuse Class A drugs and he had scarring in keeping with that.

“There was such a concentration of heroin that it could have been fatal its self but we can be certain drugs did not kill him.”

The court was previously told that Miah was arrested on Tuesday, February 15, and a subsequent search of his mother’s home found clothing and a hammer with the victim’s blood on it.

Miah denies the charge of murder.

l The trial continues.