THE harrowing murders of Heather Barnett in Bournemouth in 2002 and Elisa Claps in Italy nine years earlier were so "strikingly similar" they could only have been carried out by the same person, Winchester Crown Court heard today.

That person was Danilo Restivo, said Michael Bowes QC.

Outlining the prosecution case against Italian national Restivo, Mr Bowes told the jury: "You can have no doubt that both of the killings must have been the work of one person."

He added: "There is compelling evidence to prove that Danilo Restivo murdered Elisa Claps, which will be explained to you later. The presence of cut hair after death in both cases together with other features relating to the clothing of both victims is strikingly similar and is akin to a hallmark."

Restivo, 39, of Chatworth Road, Charminster, denies the murder of Heather Barnett on November 12, 2002.

The jury of seven men and five women heard how Heather drove her two children to the nearby Summerbee School at 8.30am and returned home less than ten minutes later. They were shown CCTV footage of Heather’s white car returning from the school run.

The jury saw this CCTV of Heather Barnett's car.

It was her children, Terry then aged 14 and Caitlin, aged 11, who found their mother’s mutilated body in the bathroom of their flat in Capstone Road when they returned home from school just after 4pm on November 12, 2002.

Mr Bowes said the details of Heather’s death were "harrowing" and the jurors may find some of it distressing.

He said they would hear how Heather had been struck over the head ten times with a blunt instrument possibly a hammer, capable of delivering high impact energy.

Her throat had been cut from ear to ear and her breasts cut off and placed by the side of her head.

A clump of someone else’s light brown cut hair had been placed in her right hand which had been rested on her lower abdomen, Mr Bowes told the court.

In Heather’s left hand there were approximately 30 hairs which appeared to have been cut from her own head, he added.

Mr Bowes said: "Heather Barnett was murdered and her body mutilated after death.

"Heather’s trousers had been lowered exposing her pants and her bra had been broken or cut at the front."

Mr Bowes said Elisa Claps had disappeared in her home town of Potenza, Italy, on September 12, 1993. Her body was not discovered until March last year when it was found by workmen in the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Potenza.

Elisa Claps mother, Filomena, was sat in the court listening to the opening of the trial just a few feet from Restivo in the dock.

Members of Heather Barnett’s family were also in the public gallery.

Mr Bowes said: "It is the prosecution’s case that Heather Barnett’s murder was premeditated and that her killer was wearing gloves and changed his trainers at the scene in order to avoid forensic contamination.

"It is also likely he was wearing some form of overclothing to protect himself and that he brought with him the blunt instrument used to kill her and the knife used to mutilate her and cut her hair."

The trial continues.

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