A SRI LANKAN born woman whose body was found in a Dublin city centre flat died as a result of multiple head injuries caused by a blunt instrument, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday.
Ms Belinda Pereira (27), who was working as a prostitute, suffered lacerations, bruising, swelling of the brain and haemorrhage, the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, told the inquest.
The city coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, adjourned the matter until, October 16th as a Garda investigation was still being "conducted into her death.
Mr Hubert Pereira, the deceased woman's father, attended the hearing yesterday with other family members.
Mr Pereira, of Garret Close, Morden, Surrey, confirmed that he had identified the body of his daughter to Insp Oliver Hanley of Store Street Garda station at the City Morgue on January 4th.
Dr Harbison said he had been, called to a flat at Mellor Court, Liffey Street, at 10.50 p.m. on December 29th, 1996, where he saw the body of Ms Pereira.
John Maher, Drugs and Crime Correspondent, adds:
Despite a four month intense murder investigation, gardai still have no suspect in the murder of Ms Pereira. Investigating officers are satisfied that the prostitute who had come to Dublin from Britain to work over Christmas was killed by a client.
The investigation has so far generated more than 600 jobs for detectives - lines of inquiry such as claimed sigtings to be checked out, and people to be interviewed. The statements gathered are currently being cross checked for discrepancies which might prove significant.
Some of the officers are also working on the murder of two women in Grangegorman last month, and are checking for similarities.
There are some parallels to the cases all three victims were murdered with excessive force - far more than was needed to kill them. But no direct link between the cases has emerged, according to Supt Bill O'Donoghue of Store Street Garda station.
A number of people thought they saw Ms Pereira in a night club off Graft on Street on the night she died, but gardai are now satisfied that she was not there.
Gardai are confident that Ms Pereira worked from the apartment in which her body was found, making contact with clients by telephone. Some calls were from telephone boxes, which means the callers cannot be traced.