Court hears of stabbing frenzy

The more his victim cried out in pain the more he stabbed her, a man accused of killing a local warden told a prison inmate, a magistrate heard yesterday.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera was hearing evidence in the case of John Attard of Xaghra who stands accused of the murder of local warden Fortunata Spiteri in Gozo in August 2001.

Stephen Spiteri, 23, an inmate at the Corradino Correctional Facility, testified in the Magistrates' Court in Gozo he had met the accused in prison and had known him because he was related to the accused's partner.

Mr Spiteri explained that the accused had talked to him about the murder when they were in the prison yard. Mr Attard had confessed to him that he had killed the warden because that was what his mind directed him to do at that moment.

The witness explained that the accused had told him that his partner had washed his clothes on the night of the murder because they were soaked in blood.

He said the accused had told him on several occasions he wanted to get rid of a certain Benny Attard and of another person aged about 75 and that he was willing to pay Lm5,000 for the job.

Mr Spiteri said he had met Benny Attard about three months ago at Mount Carmel Hospital. He feared that if anything were to happen to this man he might be blamed for it. Therefore he had asked to release a statement to the police. He had only spoken once to the police on this case.

Police Superintendent Pierre Calleja and Inspectors Jeffrey Pullicino and Antonello Grech prosecuted.

Dr Emanuel Mallia assisted the accused.