Elsie Crook, who was beaten and strangled to death, sustained injuries that could indicate she was also put in a car, a court heard yesterday.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court also heard that elderly couple Robert and Elsie Crook, of Thames Avenue, Greenmeadow, both died principally from strangulation despite a severe beating from a hammer.

Their son Timothy Crook, 44, is accused of beating and strangling his parents to death between July 6 and July 12, 2007 then driving their bodies 150 miles to his property in Foxglove Way, Lincoln, in the couple’s Nissan Micra.

The couple’s bodies were discovered in the back garden on Wednesday, July 11 after Lincolnshire police called at the property when having failed to turn up to a Swindon dance club they were reported missing.

Crook has been judged unfit to plead by Mr Justice Roderick Evans after assessments by three psychiatric consultants and therefore the trial will establish only whether it was Crook who committed the crime.

Yesterday the court heard how Mrs Crook’s spine had been fractured while a forensic pathologist also claimed Robert could have survived the hammer attack had it not been for the strangulation.

Consultant forensic pathologist Professor Guy Rutty went through the 54 injury marks on the body of Elsie Crook, 76, and the 14 on her husband Robert, 83.

Prof Rutty said many of the round bruises and other injuries were made by a blunt instrument such as a hammer, which had sometimes struck flat and other times at angles.

In both cases he said there was internal and external evidence of strangulation on the neck done with a broad object like a belt.

The court also heard that Mrs Crook had fractured vertebrae at the level of ribs five and six and extensive rib fractures.

Asked how the spinal injuries could be caused he said: “I’m confident to say it’s not from a hammer blow or from a punch, kick or stamp.

“It’s probably down to bending of the spine.”

He said this could have occurred through excessive movement during the assault or movement of the body.

“Someone being put into a car and bent could break the back,” he said.

He also pointed out defence injuries on Mrs Crook’s hands and other injuries to her body that could indicate she had adopted a foetal position to try and defend herself against the blows.

While Mrs Crook’s “severe beating”, which included scalp lacerations that penetrated the skull and would have bled profusely, Mr Crook had not suffered such head injuries.

Asked by Colin Meeke, prosecuting, “Does that mean that despite the injuries described he might have survived this but for strangulation?” Professor Rutty replied: “Yes, sir.”

Also giving evidence was entomologist Amoret Whitaker who concluded insect eggs from blowflies were laid on the bodies either late afternoon or early evening of Sunday July 8.

The case continues