A Serbian woman suspected of being behind the death of two British pensioners filmed her alleged victims in case one day she would be blamed for their wellbeing, a court heard.

At the start of criminal proceedings, Dragana Mijalkovic, 42, sat in the dock assisted by a legal aid lawyer and two interpreters. Investigating officer Fabian Fleri testified how, on October 12, 2016, the accused went to the Qawra police station after her call for an ambulance had allegedly not been answered.

A doctor from the Mosta health centre, dispatched to the woman's flat in St Paul's Bay, subsequently certified that an elderly man was found motionless on the floor between a bed and a wardrobe. He showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead, the court was told.

The accused.The accused.

The man, Neville Ayers, 78, who had been staying with the accused in her apartment, had markings on his forearms where the skin seemed to be grazed, the court was told.

Later at the Qawra police station, it was discovered that the accused's three-month residence permit had long expired. Although the woman was accompanied to the police station for questioning, there were no suspicions in her regard at the time, the witness pointed out.

It was only later, in the course of the court-appointed inquiry, that suspicions were raised when it was learnt that another guest of the accused, David Grant, 67, had died in similar circumstances inside her apartment on February 6, 2016, the court heard.

Questioned by the presiding magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, the prosecutor testified that an autopsy had confirmed that Mr Grant had died of pulmonary oedema, a natural cause. A second autopsy following the death of Mr Ayers indicated asphyxiation due to blockage of the airways as the cause of death and was still inconclusive.

Inspector Fleri explained that €1,700 in cash had been retrieved from the accused's flat. Some €948 was later found to have been won by the accused at Easybet in Qawra and was returned to her.

The court was told that, at the time of the deaths, the accused used to share the flat with a Bulgarian man as well as with a Maltese couple. The Bulgarian had allegedly told the police that the woman used to lock up Mr Ayers in the bathroom for hours. However, the accused had insisted that the man used to enjoy taking long warm baths.

The inspector testified that although the accused had no medical background, she apparently knew what medication was to be administered even though all medicines had been purchased by both men prior to their journey to Malta.

The court heard how the police had retrieved extensive footage from the accused's mobile phone and iPad showing both Mr Grant and Mr Ayers in a very unkempt state, even badly soiled. The accused allegedly filmed Mr Grant lying on the floor after having fallen - the footage shows the woman asking he had not used his walking stick.

On other occasions, the accused filmed Mr Ayers as he allegedly refused to be taken to hospital for treatment. "I don't want to be blamed for anything", the accused had replied when questioned about this footage.

It was also pointed out that the woman occasionally left Mr Ayers alone in the apartment while out to run errands or to visit the Oracle Casino where she was a regular patron.

Inspector Fleri testified that the police had been informed by Serbian authorities that Ms Mijalkovic had faced economic crime and fraud charges in 2002 and 2004. More detailed information regarding the medical history and assets of the two pensioners is still forthcoming from English authorities, the court was told.

Inspector Fabian Fleri prosecuted. Lawyer Yanika Bugeja was defence counsel

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