The State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy has told a jury that the 30 year old died from ligature strangulation.
Robert Corbet of Sheffield Cross, Portlaoise admits killing Aoife Phelan in 2012 but denies her murder.
Her body was found in a barrel buried in a field.
In garda statements the accused said Aoife Phelan had told him she was pregnant and that he killed her
because she was threatening to make his life hell if he walked away from her.
