An off-duty detective chanced upon the scene where the body of 14-year-old murder victim Rhiana Moore was discovered.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Christopher told Supreme Court yesterday he was with his own 14-year-old daughter on a trip to collect fishing bait when he was alerted to the gruesome find at Blue Hole Hill park. Rhiana was around seven months pregnant when she was murdered.

She was found dead near the water's edge among mangrove roots at the park, which is just west of The Causeway in Hamilton Parish. The man accused of murdering her, Ze Menefeskiduse Selassie, 33, is said by prosecutors to have stabbed her more than 18 times in a premeditated attack.

He is alleged to have been involved in a secret relationship with Rhiana prior to her death. Her mother is said to have been unaware of the relationship and pregnancy.

The teenager disappeared after attending a church youth group meeting on the night of Friday, May 30 last year. Her lifeless body was found on the shoreline at the park the following morning.

Yesterday, in answer to questions from prosecutor Cindy Clarke, Det. Sgt. Christopher said he arrived at the park with his daughter around 11.30 a.m that day. He was off-duty, travelling in his private motor car, and noticed a man on the shoreline who appeared to be looking at something. Others on the roadside were looking at the same thing.

"At the same time I noticed myself what appeared to be the body of a female," he told the court, explaining that he got out of his car and walked over to the location. He then noticed that the body was face down, had a visible stab wound, and appeared to be a young woman.

Det. Sgt. Christopher, who is attached to the Serious Crime Unit, contacted the Police operations centre and notified them of the discovery. He then waited for the arrival of other Police officers and emergency services personnel.

The jury heard on Wednesday from MarketPlace employee Falconeri Bacabae, who told the jury he was also at the scene looking for fishing bait when he made the initial discovery of the corpse. Prosecutors believe the body was disposed of at the site after the killing.

Prior to giving evidence yesterday, Det. Sgt. Christopher took the jury, defendant, lawyers and Chief Justice Richard Ground on a visit to the scene of the discovery.

He pointed out the area where the body was found and jury members scrambled across vegetation to get a closer look at the area. Selassie who was not handcuffed but was flanked by several prison guards looked on.

Media organisations are banned by law from publishing anything that identifies jury members. However, the Chief Justice issued an additional reporting restriction relating to yesterday's site visit. It banned the media from taking pictures of anyone else at the scene including the defendant, the lawyers involved and himself.

Selassie, of Battery Road, St. David's, denies the premeditated murder of Rhiana and the case continues.