Six blows to the head from a blunt object in her own home led to the death of a Sandys Parish widow, a pathologist told a court.

The pathologist who examined the body of Beatrice Simons, 69, said there were several lacerations on her head which he believed led to a clotting of her arteries, and eventually death.

In his opinion, the thrombosis could only have been caused by trauma and not an existing illness.

Dr. Faruk Presswalla added, although he could not pinpoint the exact weapon, it could have been a cylindrical object with a tapered edge which could also have caused gouge marks to her body.

The New Jersey state medical examiner said the thrombosis became evident when Mrs. Simons was in hospital and gradually got worse, leading to her death five days later.

He was testifying during the Supreme Court trial of Michael Dean Eberly, 35, and Michael Brian Pitcher, 32, both of Victoria Row, Ireland Island.

The men admit a break-in but deny murder in December, 1997.

Earlier the court heard the Crown contend that the murder was the result of a botched burglary, leaving the victim with appalling injuries.

Dr. Presswalla said the 69-year-old woman must have moved during the attack in her bedroom because of the various blood stains in the bedroom. And he added that she appeared to have been conscious during the incident.

He examined the crime scene and carried out a post mortem on the victim.

There were blood stains on the carpet, dresser and bed, he said, and a spattering of blood on the wall near a door.

Under examination from Crown counsel Peter Eccles, he said the blood on the wall could have been caused by a weapon being swung by a perpetrator.

Although he did not know what the weapon was, he speculated that it could have been a cylindrical object with an edge. Earlier, he had suggested to Police it could have been a tyre iron.

He was shown a piece of wood, measuring approximately three feet by one inch square, which he said could have caused some of the wounds but not others.

Widow died from blows to head In addition, he said there was bruising to her eyes, upper body, arms and an injury to the back of her head -- which was not immediately visible.

Her hands and forearms also showed defensive wounds, and one of her hands had a broken bone, he said.

Saul Froomkin, representing Pitcher, asked Dr. Presswalla if he was aware that Mrs. Simons had an existing heart condition when she died.

And the doctor admitted he had not dealt with a case where someone had died from arterial thrombosis before.

But he said Mrs. Simons did not die from thrombosis caused by disease.

Under repeated questioning from Mr. Froomkin on whether the injury to the back of the neck was outwardly visible, the pathologist retorted: "I don't know if you are from a different planet or what, the evidence was there.'' But he later admitted the injury was not visible from the outside. And he said the injury could only have occurred by some sort of trauma.

The case continues.