Lawyer Margaret Mifsud who is believed to have been murdered by her former husband died from “traumatic asphyxia” after she was pinned to her vehicle’s seat.

The suspected aggressor, 34-year-old Nizar El Gadi, got on top her and applied pressure to her chest, effectively stopping her breathing during the act on April 19, a court heard yesterday.

Forensic evidence at the scene in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq and on the body showed that the 31-year-old lawyer did not offer resistance, indicating that she knew her aggressor and to some extent trusted him, forensic pathologist Mario Scerri testified.

Dr Scerri said there were no external signs of violence on the body except for some blood which had run out of her right nostril and flowed in an upward direction settling near her right eye.

This indicated she was lying down during the attack and, coupled with other blood patterns, it meant her body had been shifted in the car before being left with her head resting on the driver’s side window.

More importantly, the evidence proved she drove to the semi-secluded spot along the coast road (where she was eventually discovered) with her aggressor and that he killed her in the car, he said.

Analysis of tissue and fluid samples from her body was carried out in the UK and it showed she had very little alcohol and no drugs in her blood, with nothing else showing up in the test results.

Dr Scerri said he arrived at the scene at around 3pm and carried out an autopsy later that day to make sure every possible shred of evidence was preserved and studied.

He concluded that she had died from traumatic asphyxia at around midnight that same day. The doctor noted that she was wearing only one shoe and the other was lying near the pedals. The victim was fully dressed and her blouse was pulled up to her breasts. Her jeans and zip were not undone.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud said officers had found a one-page handwritten note by Dr Mifsud at her house recounting a terrifying incident last March 24 when Mr El Gadi tried to strangle her.

While doing so he asked her whether she would like to know how to kill someone without leaving a trace.

The case continues.

Lawyer Martin Testaferrata Moroni Viani appeared for Mr El Gadi while lawyer Kathleen Grima appeared for the victim’s family.