Accused insists he tried to unite family again

A Siggiewi man, standing trial for the attempted murder of his wife, yesterday described himself as a person who lost his temper easily but who also calmed down just as easily.

"I am the sort of person who forgives and forgets and does not hold a grudge," Anthony Falzon told jurors. He later added that when his wife moved out, with his son and daughter, he spent five months trying to bring his family back together.

Falzon, 47, testified before Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono in his trial by jury. He is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of his wife Lourdes outside Shopwise Supermarket, in Qormi on April 5, 2002, at about 11.45 a.m.

He took the witness stand in the afternoon, after jurors attended an on-site inquiry near the supermarket.

Falzon said he met Lourdes when he was about 20 years old and they got married after three years. Married life was normal although they did argue at times.

"Problems started in March 2001. One day, at about 10 a.m. she came to the quarry. It was drizzling that day. I did not expect her to come there as she rarely came to the quarry," he said.

"She lit a cigarette and looked confused. I asked her what was wrong but she did not answer. I was worried and again I asked her what was wrong. She told me she did not love me anymore. It was like a shot to the heart.

"I could not work anymore that day since the quarry is not a safe place for someone in the wrong frame of mind. We went home and she told me there was a man, a colleague, who understood her. She eventually pointed him out to me."

Asked if he ever beat his wife Falzon replied: "In 23-years of marriage I only manhandled her three times, at the most. Once, ages ago, I pulled her hair when I arrived home and found her sunbathing topless on the roof.

"On the occasion she told me she did not love me anymore I hit her with a belt but I did not mean to hit her. I was angry and wanted to hit the bedside table with the belt but by mistake I hit her," he said.

"Although I still feel for her I think I should thank God for getting rid of her through the separation proceedings. I just feel sorry for the children."

Falzon explained that on their 23rd wedding anniversary, their last anniversary together, he wanted to take her out to eat but she refused.

A few days later she asked him for Lm8 to dye her hair but he could not afford it and told her she could pay it from her salary. She told him she had spent all her pay and was offended that he did not give her the money.

Falzon explained that later that day he was resting in bed when he heard his wife speak to someone on the phone. He then heard her run in the corridor and slam the door and when he got out of bed he saw her go into a neighbour's house.

Falzon phoned her and told her to come home but she did not. He looked for her at her mother's and other places where he thought she might be but to no avail.

"Then I thought of the worst. I thought she might have gone to Hal Far to commit suicide but she was not there. I was heading to the police station to file a report because when she phoned me and told me she was OK she did not want to tell me where she was.

"That night she did not come home and neither did the children. I tried to contact them but could not get through to anyone for about four days. I was going crazy.

"I was worried and felt the world cave in on me... All this had happened because she got offended and because she always wanted things her way. I did not do anything to her or to the children," he said.

Falzon explained that the following Saturday his daughter's car accidentally ended up in the quarry. He tried to stop it from going down but did not manage and when he told his daughter it was an accident she did not believe him.

The following Monday he went to visit his daughter and gave her Lm100 to live on.

He said he never spoke to his son again.

Falzon explained that he tried all he could to bring his family back together. He earlier said that he felt the family should always be united and believed that where one went the others should follow.

"On the day of the incident I was unloading a truck in Marsascala when I saw Lourdes drive past with my daughter.

"I signalled for her to stop the car because I wanted to speak to her but she pressed the accelerator and drove off. This made me angry.

"Then I went home and phoned my daughter on her mobile. She told me she hated me. She had never told me anything of the sort before. The change was so sudden and I thought that my wife had instigated her against me, as she had done with my son.

"It's true that I made a mistake... about her car, I mean, but I never hit my daughter. I wanted to know what my wife had told her. I was in a bad mood and sorry for what had happened especially after having spent the previous five months doing all I could to improve the situation," Falzon said.

The trial continues on Monday morning when Falzon is expected to continue testifying.

Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara is prosecuting.

Dr Giannella Caruana Curran and Dr Emanuel Mallia are appearing for Falzon.