A woman said to have been murdered by her partner suffered "multiple fractures" with some of the injuries caused by earlier episodes of strangulation, a court has heard.

The body of Tara Kershaw, 33, was discovered by police at her home in Princes Road, Great Yarmouth, after her partner Adam Barnard had gone to officers in the town telling them "I think I killed my partner".

Adam Barnard (inset) and police at murder sceneAdam Barnard (inset) and police at the murder scene (Image: Facebook/Newsquest) Barnard, 41, has gone on trial at Norwich Crown Court accused of murdering Miss Kershaw, who he had been in a "volatile" relationship with, in the early hours of January 19 this year.

Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Giving evidence on Friday, Dr Benjamin Swift, a consultant forensic pathologist, identified a number of recent injuries to Miss Kershaw, including bruising to her neck and jaw area.

The hyoid bone, in the neck, showed evidence it had been broken previously and was healing.

While in the larynx, or voice box, there was said to be evidence of "healing from previous breakage or fracturing of those structures" as well as "recent fracturing around the time of death".

The jury heard there were "multiple fractures involving the hyoid bone", with three different ages of fractures.

They were between four and seven weeks before death; five and 10 days before death and six hours before death.

Dr Swift said: "It suggests there has been repeated acts of compression of Miss Kershaw's neck over time dating back four to seven weeks."

There was found to be at least two previous incidents of neck compression which Miss Kershaw survived.

Dr Swift said it was possible Miss Kershaw, who died from compression of the neck, was "deceased for more than 24 hours" by the time the post-mortem examination took place on January 20.

Dr Swift said "there were signs of manual strangulation of a prolonged nature" including the fracturing to the "structures of the voice box".

Some body parts, including the brain and larynx, underwent further examination, with examination of the brain showing signs there had been previous "stopping of blood flow to the brain starving it of oxygen" which were in keeping with "neck compression".

Barnard, of Princes Road, Yarmouth, has denied murder and manslaughter.

The trial continues.