DNA from Nizar Mustafa Al-Gadi was found under the fingernails of his former partner Margaret Mifsud on the night that she was killed, a court was told today.

The details were given as the court continued to hear the compilation of evidence against Al-gadi, who stands accused with the murder of Dr Mifsud, the mother of his two daughters, on April 18.

She was found dead in her car in Bahar ic-Caghaq.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud said the DNA of the accused was found on both hands of the victim, even though the accused denied having met or followed Dr Mifsud on the night. Forensic tests of Dr Mifsud’s car also revealed DNA of the accused on the back seat and on tissue paper. The tissue paper also had lipstick and blood of the victim on it. The accused could not explain the presence of his dna on the tissue.

The inspector said that in repeated questioning, the accused had denied following his former partner, despite phone tracking showing otherwise. In a statement in late May he claimed he was near Fenech Service Station in St Paul’s Bay while Dr Mifsud dined in a restaurant in Xemxija. However CCTV at the petrol station did not corroborate his claim.

He claimed to have been in the company of a Russian woman but could not supply any details about her.

He also claimed not to have carried the phone which had been tracked at Xemxija.

The accused is believed to have walked from Bahar ic-Caghaq to his car in Qawra after the crime.

At the end of the hearing, Magistrate Saviour Demicoli ruled that there was enough evidence to place the accused under a bill of indictment.

Earlier, lawyer  Martin Testaferrata Moroni Viani argued that the evidence was cicumstancial and not enough for a trial.

Lawyer Kathleen Grima, appearing for the victim's family, said that caselaw showed that for the accused to be placed under a bill of indictment evidence had to be up to the grade of possibility.

Inspactor Arnaud said that the evidence was more than enough for the case to go to trial.