A 36-YEAR-OLD IT specialist charged with murdering a care worker and storing her badly decomposed body in a suitcase has appeared for his Old Bailey trial.

Leah Questin’s remains were found in a case in a dried-up pond by farmland in Cliffe near Rochester on September 24 last year.

Clinton Bailey, of Malpas Road, Brockley, denies murdering the 37-year-old.

During the first day of the trial today, the court heard Miss Questin, originally from the Philippines, met Bailey through the website Gumtree.

The South African national stated on the site he was looking for a woman from the Philippines on August 9 last year and on the same day Miss Questin replied.

Jurors heard on August 21 Bailey told his girlfriend, Debra Jooste, he was going to South Africa for a week to visit his sick mother.

But prosecution barrister Peter Wright said: “The defendant did not leave the United Kingdom.

“He continued to communicate with Leah Questin. The relationship between them was flourishing.”

On September 12 at around 2pm Miss Questin, of Cricklewood, north London, used her Oyster card to take buses and the Tube towards Malpas Road.

Her mobile phone was also used to contact the defendant.

Mr Wright said: “By 5.20pm no-one saw or heard from Leah Questin again.”

He added: “At 7.15pm her Lloyds TSB bank card was being used to make a cash withdrawal of £180 at Brockley Cross Supermarket.

“We say in all probability she was dead by then.”

The court heard on September 11 Miss Questin’s bank balance was £2,168 but by September 21 her account had £4.96 left in it.

Miss Questin was reported missing on September 13 when she did not turn up for work.

Jurors heard on the same day her Oyster card was used on board the 172 bus in the direction of Elephant and Castle.

Mr Wright said: “When the CCTV images were recovered from the bus, it transpired the user of the card was indeed someone else.

“The user of the card was none other than the defendant.”

Bailey bought a large suitcase and a padlock during his shopping trip.

Mr Wright said: “When a key was recovered from the defendant’s flat after his arrest it was inserted into the padlock found on the suitcase which had contained Leah Questin’s body.

“The key matched the padlock and opened it.”

The court heard between September 20 and September 23 the search engine of Bailey’s computer revealed research had been undertaken on “most over powering smell”, “ammonia”, “remove dead animal smell”, “refuse tip SE4” and “Landsmann Way refuse tip”.

Jurors were also told Bailey had asked Miss Jooste to pay for a hire car so he could transport some Abalone shellfish.

He told her he could not use a taxi because of the smell.

On September 22 Miss Jooste and the defendant collected the hire car and went back to Bailey’s home.

Mr Wright said: “As they went through the garage to the flat Debra Jooste noticed what she thought was a strong smell of fish.

“The defendant told her he had bought air fresheners for the house due to the smell.

“They are of the same brand as the air fresheners found in the suitcase which had contained Leah Questin’s body.”

A single DNA profile which matched Miss Questin was found on Bailey’s duvet and pillow on his bed.

Mr Wright said: “People do not normally end up naked in a suitcase in a remote spot when they have died a sudden, unexpected and natural death.”

The trial continues.