A man accused of murdering his former Dutch girlfriend had allegedly told investigators how, in the course of a tense argument, he grabbed a knife, chased after the woman and slashed her throat in the street.

The victim, Shannon Mak.

The sequence of events leading to the fatal knife attack on Shannon Mak, 30, in August was described in court on Thursday by the leading CID investigator, superintendent Raymond Cassar.

Jelle Rijpma, the victim's 22-year old former boyfriend, stands accused of having committed the murder near his apartment in Sta Venera on August 3.

Superintendent Cassar described how the woman was found dead in a pool of blood between a parked car and a garden boundary wall in Triq il-Mastrudaxxi.

Read: Court hears gruesome details about Dutch woman's murder

Mr Rijpma, who lived round the corner, was questioned by officers at police headquarters shortly after the body was identified. 

As he was cautioned and handed a form to sign, the suspect said "I freaked out".

He then described how the previous night he had an argument with his girlfriend. He sent her out of his apartment, but she returned a while later, rekindling the argument.

The accused then grabbed a knife and ran out after the woman on the street. He slashed her throat and left her on the spot where she was later found dead.

At this point, the witness's testimony had to be momentarily suspended while defence lawyer Leontine Calleja raised an objection as to the "spontaneous admission" allegedly made by the accused before the police. 

She pointed out that at that stage the suspect had not yet been read his rights. He was not assisted by a lawyer and thus his statement was inadmissible as evidence.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing for the victim's family, said the police could not stop an arrested person from "blabbering out information" without being asked to do so.

The scene of the murder in Sta. Venera.

The suspect had been twice cautioned, first at his home upon being arrested and later at police headquarters where he had even signed a form, before speaking out without being questioned, Magistrate Simone Grech was told.

Superintendent Cassar said the suspect had at first refused legal assistance but later changed his mind after recalling what had happened. He was interrogated only when his legal aid counsel arrived.

Earlier in the sitting, Dr Michael Cassar, an emergency consultant at Mater Dei Hospital, said the victim had massive injuries around her throat, including a deep laceration which involved vital structures in the neck causing "catastrophic haemorrhage".

Sarah Portelli, head of Human Resources at Evolution Gaming, confirmed that both the victim and the accused had worked at the same company.

Ms Portelli also explained how, after the discovery of the victim, at the time identified only as having “blonde hair”, she had assisted the police via a process of elimination to trace the identity of the victim and the suspect behind her alleged murder.

The compilation continues next month.

Inspectors Kurt Zahra and Robert Vella prosecuted.