Victim's body 'badly decomposed' - court

James Hore

THE body of a woman killed in her Essex home was so decomposed that it was not possible to be sure exactly how she died, a court has heard.

Ella Chimweta was found dead in a ground floor flat in the Highwoods area of Colchester in July last year.

It is alleged the nurse, who worked at Colchester General Hospital, was murdered by her partner, Daniel Tambengwa who then fled to Africa.

Tambengwa, 30, has denied killing Ms Chimweta and two further charges relating to attempted sexually activity with a young girl who had been living with them.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard yesterday that Ms Chimweta had bruising on the right side of her neck.

Dr David Rouse, a Home Office pathologist, carried out a post mortem examination and concluded the 32-year-old's injuries were consistent with strangulation.

He confirmed there was no evidence that Ms Chimweta, originally from Zimbabwe, died from natural causes.

Asked about the injuries to Ms Chimweta, he said: “There was some bruising to the neck, consistent with compression of the neck using a broad surface such as the flat of the hand or a broad ligature such as a sheet.”

Dr Rouse said there was no evidence of any other injuries.

However, he judged the cause of death was “unascertained” because of the decomposition which had taken place between Ms Chimweta's death and when her body was discovered a week later.

He said: “There was substantial decomposition and clearly that made identification and examination of any bruises on the outside of the skin very difficult.”

Tambengwa, who fled to Cameroon before giving himself up and flying back to the UK, where he was arrested, has denied murdering Ms Chimweta on or about July 9.

He has also pleaded not guilty to further charges of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and of trying to make a child look at images of sexual activity between July 8 and 11.

The trial continues.