The sexually-motivated murder of Angelika Kluk was an atrocity against a defenceless young woman, a jury was told yesterday.

As the trial of church handyman Peter Tobin reached it closing stages, advocate-depute Dorothy Bain, prosecuting, said the case against him was "powerful and compelling".

She also told the eight women and seven men the grief felt by anyone who knew the intelligent, beautiful, hard-working student would continue long after their deliberations were concluded.

Ms Bain was addressing the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh for the last time in her closing statement. Defence QC Donald Findlay is expected to begin his closing speech today. Lord Menzies will then give his legal directions and the jury will be asked to consider their verdicts.

Mr Tobin, 60, denies raping and murdering the student and hiding her body under the floor of St Patrick's church in Anderston, Glasgow, in September last year.

Ms Bain said there was no evidence to link anyone else, including Father Gerry Nugent, with the crime, nor was there evidence to back up the 63-year-old priest's claim to have had a sexual relationship with Angelika.

Ms Bain told the jury: "This is no murder mystery. This is no whodunnit.

"She was the victim of an atrocity. The death she must have endured is beyond description."