Pacific court told attack details

The murder shocked the Pacific island community

An Australian woman killed on the Pacific territory of Norfolk Island suffered an "extremely violent" assault, a court heard.

Australian Janelle Patton, a restaurant manager who had lived on the island for three years, was stabbed to death in March 2002.

The murder - the first on the island for 150 years - shocked the Australian territory's community of 1,800 people.

New Zealander Glenn McNeill, a chef, has been charged with her murder.

A committal hearing to determine whether the case should proceed to trial began on Monday.

Defend

Ms Patton's body was found wrapped in plastic by a waterfall.

Forensic pathologist Allan Cala, who performed an autopsy on Ms Patton's body, said she had suffered 64 injuries, including a fractured skull and a stab wound to the chest.

He told the court a combination of 34 of her injuries had caused her death.

"There were injuries which caused blood loss and a degree of incapacity that, in combination with that stab wound to the chest, led to her death," he told the court.

Ms Patton hands were injured, indicating she tried to defend herself, he said.

Ms Patton's parents, who are attending the hearing, left the court room after testimony about their daughter's injuries.

The hearing is expected to last all week. Mr McNeill has not entered a plea.

The case sparked an unprecedented police investigation in which nearly all the island's residents were finger-printed.

Many of the residents are descendants of mutineers from the 18th century British naval vessel HMS Bounty.