Twelve jurors were swiftly selected at Sheffield Crown Court to decide the fate of Thakane Mtetwa, alleged to have killed a resident at Layden Court Nursing Home in Maltby.

South African Mtetwa, wearing a blue and gold wrap-around shawl, seemed unruffled and calm as the prosecution case was outlined on Monday afternoon.

The prosecution case is likely to suggest the 61-year-old smothered Elsie Skelton to death during a night shift last October. A post mortem showed Mrs Skelton, who needed 24-hour care and had to be turned in her bed every two hours, died from compression to the neck and facial injuries.

Peter Kelson QC, prosecuting, said Mtetwa lied about how long it had been since Mrs Skelton had seen her doctor so the police would not become involved.

Police are called for deaths where the deceased has not seen their doctor within two weeks. Mrs Skelton had not seen her GP since August, but Mtetwa said he had visited at the beginning of October.

"The prosecution submits that she was trying to avoid an investigation because she had something to hide," said Mr Kelson.

Mr Kelson also said key prosecution witness Amy Richmond had been told by her then-colleague Mtetwa: "We'll tell them she went while we were washing her. Otherwise they'll be on our backs for the rest of our days."

When her night shift finished, Miss Richmond went home and contacted the healthcare agency that employed her to reveal what had really happened, the jury was told. She will be called to give evidence tomorrow.

Mrs Skelton suffered from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimers and became immobile in her three years at Layden Court.

Mr Kelson said the prosecution case was not able to offer a motive for why the defendant would want to murder her. But he was confident evidence would show that no other employee or resident at the All Hallows Drive home could have done it and security was tight enough to rule out an outsider breaking in.

Mtetwa denies murder. The case continues.