THE series of blows to the head that killed mum-of-two Irena Pearson were struck with "great vigour", a court was told yesterday.

Mrs Pearson, 50, was found in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of the Merriefield Avenue home in Broadstone she shared with husband William, known as Maurice, and children Peter, 22 and Jessica, 18, just after 12.30pm on Friday February 13.

Pearson denies murdering his wife, which it was alleged he did during a row over money after she found out about a £800 cash withdrawal he made from their joint building society account.

A statement made by Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue, which was read out to Bournemouth Crown Court, said the church-going supply teacher had been struck with a blunt instrument.

The statement read: "She died as a result of multiple, blunt-force, head injuries. The immediate cause of her death was a series of blows to the head.

"Any of a wide variety of implements could have been used to inflict her injuries, but it seems likely the object used was comparatively light in weight, though wielded with great vigour.

"At least 15 blows were struck, probably many more."

Mrs Pearson was left with multiple skull fractures, two black eyes and bruising all over her face, arms and fingers.

Helpless

Dr Purdue said the bruising to Mrs Pearson's arms and fingers were in keeping with attempts to ward off the blows, but added that she would have been "rendered helpless" at a relatively early stage in the attack.

Forensic scientist Christine Rees was called in to try and determine what had happened at the address by examining the scene.

She told the court there had been blood splattered across the work surfaces and breakfast bar of the kitchen, as well as on the cooker hood and on the ceiling.

"There was a lot of force used for the blood to be splattered that far up to the ceiling and to the cooker hood."

She told the court there had been smears of blood on the floor next to Mrs Pearson's body, which may have been made by her hands and feet slipping on the wet blood, indicating that she attempted to get up either during the attack or after the attacker had left.

Jane Miller QC, prosecuting, had previously told the court Pearson had lost £44,000 trading on the stockmarket over the internet.

Pearson dialled 999 just after 12.30pm on February 13, telling police he had just arrived home from a shopping trip at the nearby Fleetsbridge Industrial Estate and found his wife dead.

Confrontation

But the prosecution claim he had killed Mrs Pearson after she confronted him about the withdrawal from their joint account - a fact she had discovered that morning when she called the Portman Building Society to enquire about money missing from that account.

It is alleged that Pearson then went to several shops he knew had CCTV to get himself an alibi, after going to the tip in Nuffield Road, where he dumped two carrier bags the prosecution say contained his bloodied clothing and the murder weapon, which has never been recovered.

When interviewed by the police, the court heard, Pearson said he had not told his wife about his money problems because she was easily worried and admitted he had lied to her by saying he had not made the cash withdrawal from their Portman account when she asked him about it.

He told the police she had been "fine" about that and assumed she had dropped the passbook in the street and whoever picked it up had made the withdrawal.

He said: "She was perhaps a bit excited, but she wasn't cross, she wasn't angry. There was no shouting, no agitation."

Pearson said he was no more than "a bit surprised" to discover his wife knew about the withdrawal and denied that the confrontation had made him "flustered".

The case continues.