A woman who it’s alleged was murdered by a Coventry cash and carry boss and his brother was killed with chloroform, a home office pathologist has told jurors.

Dr Frances Hollingbury was first contacted by police investigating the disappearance of Sameena Imam on January 15 when her potential grave was found at an allotment in Leicester.

The 34-year-old’s body was found the following day in a sleeping bag with a plastic bag over her head.

The day after that a full post mortem examination was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

On Wednesday at Birmingham Crown Court Dr Hollingbury revealed what she found out during the examination - concluding that chloroform caused Miss Imam’s death.

Roger Cooper, of Tilehurst Drive, Tile Hill, Coventry, and David Cooper, of Hughenden Drive, Leicester, both deny murdering Miss Imam, aged 34, on Christmas Eve.

It’s alleged by prosecutors that Roger Cooper, who was the manager of Costco in Torrington Avenue, Tile Hill, killed Miss Imam, the store’s regional marketing manager because he was scared that details of the pair’s relationship would be made public.

Jurors have heard that Roger Cooper was also in a long-term relationship with another woman and was in another relationship with a different Costco employee.

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Giving evidence Dr Hollingbury said when Miss Imam’s body was found buried in the allotment a green plastic bag was over her head with a scarf underneath.

She was in a sleeping bag and had a brown towel covering part of her torso.

Cling film had been wrapped around her lower thighs down to her feet.

“Every case is like a jigsaw trying to put together the pieces,” Dr Hollingbury said. “In this case the information I needed to determine the cause of death was in the toxicology.

“In my opinion Miss Imam died as a result of the chloroform.”

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Timothy Spencer QC, prosecuting, asked: “Is the plastic bag of significance?”

Dr Hollingbury responded: “It may have played a part in the mechanism of how this was achieved but there are no particular findings in terms of plastic bag asphyxiation.

“Chloroform is an anaesthetic - it makes you go to sleep - and if you have too much of it it makes you go to sleep to the extent that you stop breathing.”

Dr Hollingbury said that “wet lining” of Miss Imam’s nose and the mouth was reddened and bleeding and that could have been caused by chloroform.

The case continues.