Marioara Rostas found in ‘foetal position’ in shallow grave

The body of teenager Marioara Rostas was found in a foetal position in a shallow grave four years after she went missing, her murder trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard today. She had four bullet wounds to her head.

Alan Wilson (35), New Street Gardens, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Rostas (18) at Brabazon Street, The Coombe, Dublin, in January 2008.

Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar testified that he was called to woodland at Kip- pure on January 23rd, 2012, where he noticed a shallow grave about two feet deep.

He saw a body wrapped in dark plastic bags lying in a foetal-like position. The head was wrapped in a grey plastic bag and the wrappings were secured with duct tape.

He later carried out a postmortem on the female body, during which eight plastic bags, a large sheet of industrial-like cling film and a bed sheet were removed from around it. A pillow case was removed from around the head.

“I noted evidence of physical violence and trauma,” he said. “There were four gunshot entrance wounds to the front half of her head.”

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.