Murder victim Anthony Borg il-Bona was found with traces of cocaine in his system and received three stab wounds, one of which pierced his heart, forensic expert Mario Scerri told a jury this evening.

Mr Borg, 39, was murdered in Marsaxlokk square on February 21, 2010.

Allan Galea, 36, stands charged with the murder.

Dr Scerri said an unspent bullet was found by his side, as well as a kitchen knife which contained blood stains. Forensic experts also found one of his earrings on the ground beside him, as well as a hair clip.

He suffered stab wounds to his shoulder blade, below the hip and to the centre of his chest.

Dr Scerri confirmed that the deceased smelled of alcohol.

He also examined the accused later on the day of the murder in the lock-up of the police headquarters, confirming that he suffered injuries and bruises consistent with having been beaten up. He suffered injuries to his left eye, torso and to the back of his head. One of the injuries was consistent with Mr Galea's claim that he was hit with a rolling pin.

"Upon seeing me, a person without uniform, in the police lock-up, Mr Galea seemed very relieved and nearly hugged me," Dr Scerri told the jury.

"He then started to talk and talk and, as is my duty, I told him to stop so as not to incriminate himself. He was in a great state of panic, almost hysterical.

"He told me: 'I stabbed him - if I hadn't done so, you would have been examining my corpse instead.'"

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Giannella de Marco this morning, Inspector Joseph Mercieca, who was investigating the incident at the time, said the deceased had phoned the accused some six times within the space of 15 minutes at around 6pm, cursing and challenging him to fight.

Mr Galea only answered one call and left the house. The rest were answered by his girlfriend Amanda Grech, who was at home with their one-year-old daughter. Terrified, she phoned the police, asking them to run down to the PN club.

Insp. Mercieca said that Paul Borg - who ran the Marsaxlokk PN club where the deceased and his relatives had been drinking since 2.30pm on the day - told him that the deceased had asked him for Mr Galea's number but he didn't have it.

He somehow managed to obtain it anyway and proceeded to call him, with Mr Borg (the barman) saying that he heard the deceased shout so loudly at the person on the other end of the line that he asked everyone to leave the club because he was afraid "a murder would happen".

The police's first indication that a gun had been used was after a live bullet was discovered beneath Mr Borg's (il-Bona) corpse.

"Did the deceased's relatives who were present (at the time of the incident) inform you that Twanny Borg il-Bona had fired two shots from a gun?" Dr de Marco questioned. Insp. Mercieca replied that Clifton Cassar, the boyfriend of the deceased's niece, told him some time later but not immediately.

The deceased's girlfriend, Claire Magri, gave the police conflicting versions, saying that she knew of nothing because she was in a nearby pick-up truck, looking out at the sea and only learnt of the incident after it had occurred.

However, Mr Borg (the barman) told the police that Ms Magri gave him the deceased's gun and asked him to hide it. Mr Borg did so and later fetched it for the police during their investigations, on the condition that they did not accompany him to the place where he had hid it. The police complied, dropping him off in Zabbar and waiting some 30 minutes for him to return with the gun.

During investigations, the police found eight notebooks in the deceased's vehicle, some of which contained names, telephone numbers and the amounts of money he was owed coupled with rising interests. There was also an accompanying calculator. The deceased was well known to the police as a notorious loan shark.

However, Mr Galea did not borrow money from the deceased.

The police learnt that three weeks prior to the murder, the two were drinking at the PN club. It appears that Mr Galea approached Mr Borg (the deceased) and grabbed at his gold choker.

"That's the big crime committed by poor Allan," Dr de Marco told the jury after Insp. Mercieca confirmed that Paul Borg the barman had told him about the small incident.

Lara Lanfranco and Kristina Debattista from the Attorney General's Office are leading the prosecution. Giannella de Marco, Joe Giglio and Steve Tonna Lowell are appearing for the accused while Matthew Brincat and Franco Debono are appearing parte civile for the victim's family.

Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi is presiding over the case.