The neighbour of self-styled spiritualist, Patricia Alves, yesterday told a jury that on the morning of February 15, 2002, she peeped through a hole in her fence and saw Camille Seenauth's body in a neatly dug hole.

As the shallow grave murder case involving Alves commenced yesterday state counsel Faith McGusty called two witnesses to give evidence.

Alves, 44, who is also known as Patricia Granville, 'Patsy' and 'Mother' allegedly killed 32-year-old Seenauth sometime between February 11 and February 16, 2002.

According to Evril Small of 16 Second Street, Albert-town, Seenauth's feet were bound with a piece of cloth and she recognised that it was her in the hole by some spots that Seenauth had on her skin.

Small told the court that after seeing the body she ran straight to Second Street, Alberttown and started to call neighbours.

She took them to the back of her yard and they peeped through holes in her fence. Afterwards they called the police. When the police arrived, they were invited to look through the holes and then went across to Alves' yard.

Before that, around 6 am, Small was preparing her breakfast in her kitchen when she looked through her window and saw a sheet, towel and a tarpaulin under Alves' house. Alves was moving to and fro and her church members kept calling for her but Alves refused to answer.

Small added that she has known Alves for about 13 to 14 years. She said that from looking through the holes in the fence, she could have seen straight under Alves' house and other parts of the yard.

She knew Seenauth after constantly seeing her visit Alves and hearing Alves call her name. Small described Seenauth as a squatty, fair skin woman with curly hair, spots on her skin and of Indian descent.

She saw Seenauth go to the shop on a regular basis for Alves and she scrubbed and hung out Alves' clothes.

In late November 2001, Seenauth moved in with Alves permanently and their relationship was good for a while, then it changed because on a daily basis Seenauth received a beating.

Small explained that Seenauth would sometimes get a whipping with a broom, a stick, cutlass or a piece of iron. At other times Alves used her feet and kicked Seenauth.

Small said that Seenauth never fought back but would cry out "Ow sister Pat, don't beat meh".

On February 11 at around midday, Small was preparing to go for her grandson when she heard as if someone was getting a whipping. She then went to her western window and saw Seenauth with her underwear and Alves beating her with a long pipe on all parts of her body.

The beating was taking place in Alves' passageway. Small never saw Seenauth alive again.

When Alves moved into Alberttown, she and Small got along she said, but then she said Alves caused confusion among neighbours.

Under cross-examination by attorney Nigel Hughes, Small said that her husband who was a fireman was charged with slapping Alves but she is not sure if he was charged with pulling a gun on her.

She also said that she and Alves usually talked over the fence but they never went to each other's homes.

Small once received a lawyer's letter from Alves accusing her of throwing flowers and egg shells in Alves' yard but Small never sent back any lawyer's letter or made any complaints. Small said that she wanted Alves to change her ways because she was not happy with the things she was doing. She said that she never called the police nor complained about Alves beating people because on one occasion when she complained to the police she did not get satisfaction.

Alves' church used to beat drums and Small was not happy with the services because they were too loud. She said that Seenauth used to visit the home freely and leave freely. She did not see any digging or hear anything or see any implements in Alves' yard that suggested that she had dug the hole herself.

Kayman Lall, Seenauth's cousin was the second witness to testify.

Lall, of 17 Montrose, East Coast Demerara said that Seenauth lived with him and then she moved out in late 2001 saying that she had found a job somewhere.

On February 18, 2002 he went to the Alberttown Police Station to give a statement. After that he and a police officer went to Lyken's Funeral parlour where he identified Seenauth's body.

Lall said that when Seenauth lived with him, she was not ill and she never suffered from fits.

Alves' other defence counsel, Mark Waldron cross-examined Lall who stated that Seenauth lived with him for about one year. Seenauth was from Essequibo and she just showed up one day. Seenauth was involved in a car accident during the time she lived with him and she was hospitalised for a few days.

Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh adjourned the case for today at 9 am.

The court heard that Alves beat Seenauth with an iron pipe and then buried her in a shallow grave at the back of her Second Street, Alberttown home. She was committed to stand trial in the High Court on July 3, 2003 after a prima facie case was made out against her.