A DNA test on a bone found in a Birżebbuġa field matched the profile of taxi driver Matthew Zahra’s parents, a court heard yesterday.

Forensic expert Marisa Cassar told Magistrate Josette Demicoli experts had sifted through almost 250 bones found buried in the field but most of them were animal remains. Only five bones were found to be human. She said she had carried out laboratory tests on one of the bones and compared it to a DNA sample taken from Mr Zahra’s parents. The result matched. She said she was in the process of carrying out similar tests on the other four bones to determine whether these were his remains, too.

The bones were unearthed from the Qajjenza field in the same week the police found a shallow grave containing the bodies of Mario Camilleri, or l-Imnieħru, and his son Mario in August 2013. The two had been murdered the previous month.

Dr Cassar was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Jason Galea, 39, of Marsa and Ronald Urry, 49, of Paola, who deny murdering Mr Zahra a year earlier, in August 2012. Alfredo Attard, the owner of the field in question, told the police that Mr Zahra, who hailed from Valletta, had been buried there by Mr Urry and Mr Galea. Welcoming the news that could eventually give Mr Zahra’s family some closure, their lawyer, Stefano Filletti, said they looked forward to the expert proceeding with her tests to determine whether all of the five bones belonged to Mr Zahra.

He expressed surprise that no other bones, including the skull and the pelvic bone, had been found in the field where Mr Zahra was apparently buried.

Dr Cassar said she needed until the end of May to conclude the genetic investigations. The case continues. Police Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted.