A young woman yesterday described the horrific moment she rounded a corner in the backyard of her South Guildford home and found her pet dog licking her grandmother’s skull.

The woman, who can not be named, was forced to relive the experience in the Supreme Court yesterday as she gave evidence during the murder trial of her mother Helen Levina.

Ms Levina is accused of murdering her mother, Ella Victoria Hromaya, before putting the victim’s body in a shallow hole in her backyard and covering it with bleach.

The “significantly decomposed” remains of the 76-year-old were uncovered by her granddaughter about two weeks after the alleged murder in February last year.

Ms Hromaya had been living in the public housing home with her daughter and granddaughter in the years leading up to her death.

Camera Icon The South Guildford crime scene. Credit: Michael Wilson/The West Australian

Prosecutor David Davidson told the court the relationship between the accused and her mother was very strained, arguing Ms Levina wanted her mother out of her life.

“This tension was brewing,” he said. “There was a clear dislike for her and you could say hatred for her mother.”

Giving evidence yesterday, the granddaughter ran through the day she came home from university early to have a coffee and made the gruesome discovery in her backyard.

She said she “smelt something really bad” as she tiptoed around a corner in search of her family’s dog then she spotted the Great Dane “eating” a skull near a bin.

The woman said she felt like she was going to vomit as she ran inside and called emergency services.

It is alleged police found Ms Hromaya’s bank card, concession card and transit card when they searched Ms Levina after she was arrested.

Police also say Ms Levina had her mother’s funeral coverage policy in her handbag at the time.

Ms Levina told officers she had not seen her mother since she told her she was going to move out with Jehovah’s Witnesses who used to visit her at the home.

She admitted she wanted her mother out of her life and home, but said she did not want her dead.

“She left with a Jehovah’s Witness and that’s all I know,” Ms Levina said.

Defence lawyer Henry Sklarz told the jury there was tension between the three generations who lived in the house. But he said the tension and dislike was not enough to motivate a killing.

The trial continues.