A devout Christian trained in human dissection killed and decapitated her church friend, the Old Bailey has heard.
Jemma Mitchell, 38, is accused of murdering 67-year-old Mee Kuen Chong after falling out over money in 2021.
Ms Chong was reported missing from her home in Wembley, London, and her headless body found more than 200 miles (320km) away in woods near Salcombe, Devon, 16 days later.
Ms Mitchell, from Brent, denies murder.
Opening Ms Mitchell's trial, Deanna Heer KC said: "It is the prosecution case that she assaulted and killed the deceased, and then transported her body to Salcombe in a large blue suitcase where she attempted to dispose of it in the woods."
'Headless body'
The prosecutor said Ms Mitchell visited the victim on the day she went missing, 11 June, and was captured on CCTV footage walking from Ms Chong's house with two suitcases.
"The larger of the two was obviously very heavy and difficult to manoeuvre. It is the prosecution case that it contained the body of Mee Kuen Chong," Ms Heer said.
She argued Ms Mitchell had travelled to Salcombe with the suitcase on 26 June in a rented grey Volvo, adding the vehicle was captured on CCTV footage driving towards the area of woodland where Ms Chong's body was found.
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Ms Heer said a post-mortem examination had been unable to determine the woman's cause of death due to the degree of decomposition, but her body appeared to have been cut and there were signs of assault, including a skull fracture suggesting "significant impact by a blunt object very shortly before death".
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Ms Heer said devout Christian Ms Mitchell had befriended the victim through church, but they "had recently fallen out over money".
Ms Chong was described as vulnerable and prone to erratic behaviour, and had been referred to a community mental health team after sending letters to the then Prince Charles and Boris Johnson.
At the time of the Ms Chong's death, Ms Mitchell was living with her mother at a family home in Brent, which was in a state of disrepair, jurors heard.
The property had no roof and was covered in scaffolding, and Ms Chong had agreed to hand over £200,000 to help with repairs, the prosecution claims, before she had a change of heart.
Ms Mitchell denies murdering Ms Chong on a date between 10 and 27 June 10 last year.
The trial continues.
The headless body of Mee Kuen Chong, 67, was found 16 days after she went missing.
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