Jury members in the Matthew Clarke murder trial visited the scene of the killing during visits to sites featured in the case yesterday.

The nine women and three men inspected the victim's bedroom in Pembroke where he was found stabbed and beaten to death.

Mr. Clarke, a 31-year-old songwriter, had been knifed in the chest, neck and back 26 times and repeatedly hit in the head with what prosecutors say was a metal pole.

Three men stand accused of the murder Vernon Simons, 24, from Pembroke, Kyle Sousa, 18, from Warwick and Shannon Tucker, 32, from Southampton. They all deny the charge.

Sousa and Tucker waived their right to accompany the jury on yesterday's tour, with just Simons attending amid tight security. In all, five sites in Pembroke were visited the C-Mart grocery store, Admiralty House Park and Mr. Clarke's home, which are all located on North Shore Road, plus Dellwood school and Simons' home in North Street. A metal bar said to have been used in the murder was recovered by Police divers from a pond on the Dellwood premises.

The jury has heard taped Police interviews with each of the three men, who gave differing accounts of their whereabouts on the day in question, April 9 2008. The five sites visited are places mentioned in their accounts of their movements.

Mr. Clarke was found dead in his bed by his girlfriend shortly after 3 p.m. His room was located at the back of his mother's home, and had a separate access to the main house.

One the first day of the trial the jury was shown photographs of the property by crime scene examiner Jewel Hayward showing blood spattered on the walls and "makeshift ceiling" of the victim's bedroom. They also showed sneaker footprints in a flowerbed outside the house and on a tiled walkway.

Yesterday the jurors filed in silence around the property and into Mr. Clarke's room. Judge Carlisle Greaves occasionally pointed out areas of interest, while lawyers for the prosecution and defence also inspected the scene. Simons looked on, handcuffed and flanked by three prison guards.

Traffic in Pembroke occasionally ground to a halt as a result of the court tour, which saw the jury members travel around in a pink PTB minibus escorted by Police cars and motorcycle riders.

The case continues.