A sobbing mother yesterday covered her ears to blot out the sounds of screams in the night at the spot where her daughter is alleged to have been strangled.

Mrs Anne Donnelly sobbed as a BBC Crimewatch UK reconstruction of her daughter's final hours alive were screened in court at the request of defence counsel Donald Findlay QC.

She watched as a policewoman playing the part of Ms Laura Donnelly, 22, walked home from a girls' night out in Paisley to her death in the grounds of a cricket club.

As the video relived the moment when Ms Donnelly is alleged to have been attacked, her screams ran round the court and Mrs Donnelly, 50, and her son Alan, sitting at the back of the High Court in Glasgow, covered their ears with their hands.

The jury then heard Mrs Donnelly being interviewed for the programme. She told viewers: ''People are saying the man who did this to Laura must be an animal, but an animal wouldn't do this. Whoever did this to my daughter must be a monster. She was tiny. How could any human being look into her face and just destroy her.''

Sitting just feet away watching the programme was Mr Thomas Brophy, 21, of Lochinver Crescent, Paisley, who denies murdering Ms Donnelly, of Thistle Street, also Paisley, on July 31 last year.

It is alleged that in the grounds of Ferguslie Cricket Club at Corsebar Road he fought with her, inflicted blunt force trauma to her head and body by unknown means, and forced her to the ground.

The charge further alleges that Mr Brophy removed Ms Donnelly's clothing, sexually assaulted her, and strangled her.

The court heard that Mr Brophy had been a customer in a video hire shop where Ms Donnelly once worked.

Earlier Mrs Donnelly wept as the jury was shown photographs of her daughter's body at the spot where it was found by a young boy looking for his football. She lay close to a burn beside a path leading from the cricket club to the Lord Lounesdale pub.

Strathclyde Police scenes of crime photographer Paul Anderson, 27, told Mr Norman Ritchie, prosecuting, that he took pictures of the scene and also of credit and bank cards found in a nearby building site.

Mrs Donnelly was also in court when a video taken by CCTV cameras at the nearby Royal Alexandra Hospital showed a lone figure in light clothing walking along Corsebar Road between 2.19 and 2.20 a.m.

The court heard that Ms Donnelly was on a night out with two of her closest friends, one of whom was celebrating her 23rd birthday.

Student Rayleen Kelly, 23, who had known Ms Donnelly since they were both four years old, said they had drifted apart when they left school.

She spoke of a chance meeting with Ms Donnelly in Paisley on the day she died. The victim was with another girl, Ms Pauline Gemmell, and they invited her to celebrate Ms Gemmell's birthday that night. Ms Kelly said they met at 9pm, went to a pub, then decided to go to Fury Murrys nightclub in the town centre.

''We all decided to go, but we weren't going to stay long if we didn't like it,'' she said.

In the queue Ms Donnelly met Mr Martin Teaz, one of her neighbours. During the evening he took Ms Donnelly's coat to the cloakroom for her.

Ms Kelly told the court that at 1am Ms Gemmell decided she wanted to go home and, as she was tired herself, she agreed it would be a good idea.

Ms Kelly said she had no concerns about Ms Donnelly going home on her own as she had said she might get a taxi with Mr Teaz. But cross-examined by Mr Findlay Ms Kelly said there were no signs of romantic affections between Ms Donnelly and Mr Teaz.

Mr Teaz, 20, a student, said Laura was in his company for half an hour after her friends left and she left before him. He offered to get a taxi to take her home but she declined twice.

The trial before Lord Wheatley continues.