The gruesome details of the vicious killing of Canadian teenager Rebecca Middleton were outlined during the first day of the trial yesterday.

The Crown described the events leading up to the killing and the grisly aftermath of the attack on the 16-year-old holidaymaker from Ontario.

Miss Middleton had been sexually abused, tortured and stabbed 16 times during the attack. She was found on a deserted road at Ferry Reach on July 3, 1996.

Nineteen-year-old Justis Smith, of Pembroke, pleads not guilty to pre-meditated murder.

The trial, before Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux, is expected to last several weeks and could hear from up to 75 witnesses.

Rebecca Middleton's father and mother, David and Cindy Middleton, are to stay on the Island for the duration of the proceedings.

The trial got underway yesterday afternoon after a morning of legal arguments.

In his opening statements, Solicitor General William Pearce told the jury of the night the teenager died, after accepting a lift on a motorcycle from two men when a taxi failed to appear.

She was discovered hours later, barely alive, lying naked on a road at Ferry Reach, and died shortly after.

He said she had been sexually abused, tortured and stabbed 16 times. And he warned them of the extremely unpleasant photographs they would have to view as part of the trial.

In addition, the jury will visit the spot where she was found.

Mr. Pearce said the night had started when Rebecca, or Becky as she was also known, went to St. George's for a night out with friend Jasmine Meens.

She had been staying with Jasmine -- a schoolfriend from Ontario -- at her father's home in Flatts during a summer holiday.

After drinking at the White Horse tavern they went to friend Jonathan Cassidy's home.

Shortly after 1 a.m. they called a taxi, and twice more they phoned for taxis, none of which arrived. As they waited outside the house, a motorcycle with two men drove up.

Mr. Pearce said the men were Kirk Mundy and Justis Smith, aged 21 and 17 at the time, respectively.

They offered the girls a lift and though they first refused, they eventually accepted.

Rebecca Middleton rode on the bike with Kirk Mundy and Justis Smith, and Jasmine Meens was driven home by Dean Lottimore, who had also arrived at the scene.

Jasmine Meens arrived home and discovered her friend was not there, she immediately feared the worst.

At 3.45 a.m. the body of Rebecca Middleton was found in the middle of a road at Ferry Reach.

The Solicitor General said of the 16 stab wounds on her body, seven were deep and he said there was bruising on her upper arms, which, along with the absence of major defensive wounds, showed she was physically restrained during the assault.

Following the attack, he claimed the body had been moved from a grassy area and left in the middle of the road.

There was no doubt that Justis Smith was with her at the time of the attack, he said. And he added that expert witnesses would testify that he either inflicted the fatal wounds himself or provided assistance for the person who did.

In addition, DNA evidence on Rebecca Middleton's clothes matched that of Kirk Mundy.

Justis Smith was arrested a week after the killing. He said he had been drinking in St. George's with Kirk Mundy, who he described as "his boy fly'', until 3 a.m.

He said Kirk Mundy drove him home, during which time they saw a couple of people along the way and also stopped to talk to two men whose car had broken down at the Swing Bridge.

But, Mr. Pearce said his statement contained glaring admissions about what they did after they "saw a couple of people''.

William Pearce is assisted by Sandra Bacchus. The defence team is led by John Perry QC, from England, Archibald Warner and Elizabeth Christopher.

Kirk Mundy is currently serving a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

The trial continues today.