Clothes worn by a man accused of attempted murder following a stabbing incident at Tigné and later found by the police when searching his room, were evidently “clean”, an officer from the homicide squad testified on Monday.

Various items of clothing were seized from the Sliema apartment that was rented by Hisham Ali Abuagilla, the 38-year-old Libyan who stands accused of attempted murder.

The incident dates back to August 6, 2021 when an argument broke out between the suspect and a 21-year-old Briton who, together with his friends, met up with Abuagilla in the early hours of the morning following a night out in Paceville.

One of the victim’s friends moved Abuagilla’s bag while looking for a misplaced phone when the group met in the area of Tigné Point.

But that action allegedly triggered an argument which escalated, resulting in a violent episode during which the Briton was stabbed in the chest, neck, back and face. 

While lying on a stretcher in hospital, the youth later showed police a Facebook photo of the accused, signalling that he was his aggressor. 

Days later, the suspect was tracked down after being spotted by an officer along the Qui Si Sana seafront. 

He was arrested and arraigned, pleading not guilty to attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, unlicenced possession of a knife and breaching the peace. 

He was also charged with being in possession of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis in circumstances denoting that the drugs were not solely for personal use. 

The suspect’s rented apartment on Tigné Street was searched by officers from the Homicide Squad as well as scene of the crime officers who seized various items and photographed the proceedings.

Abuagilla himself had the key to the door of his room.

Inside that room police came across several suspicious substances, empty sachets, a number of crushers, as well as an amount of cash in notes and coins, testified police sergeant Josef Gerada.

Personal documents attesting the lease held by the suspect over the Tigné flat were also found.

A black polo shirt with the Ferrari logo, a red pullover, torn jeans as well as a pair of slippers with a black, yellow and white logo, were also found inside the room. 

Those were the same clothes worn by the suspect on the night of the violence, some 10 days previously. They were also the same clothes worn by Abuagilla in the Facebook photo seen by the police. 

All items were photographed and seized.

The money, still sealed in a transparent evidence bag, was exhibited in court on Monday. 

Asked by prosecuting Inspector Wayne Camilleri why the suspect’s clothes had not been handed over to forensic experts but retained by the police, the witness explained that those items were “evidently clean”.

That was why investigators did not deem it necessary to hand the clothes for further testing.

Three fingerprints found on items seized by investigators when searching the suspect’s flat were copied and saved on a CD that was also exhibited by another prosecution witness, sergeant Jurgen Schembri. 

The court, presided over by Magistrate Doreen Clarke, appointed an expert to lift the accused’s fingerprints for the purpose of analysing and comparing them to those marks found when the police searched his flat.

The case continues in October.

Inspector Colin Sheldon also prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyer Anthony Vella.Lawyer Noel Bianco was defence counsel.