Eyewitness claims she was threatened to change her version

A woman yesterday told a court how a man, facing charges of wilful homicide over the death of an 18-year-old girl last year, approached her several times and threatened to shoot her in the legs if she did not change her evidence during his trial by jury.

"On several occasions I met Jason (Louis Paul) Decelis outside St Luke`s Hospital over the past three weeks. He approached me repeatedly threatening to shoot me and disable my legs if I didn`t testify as he wanted me to during his trial," the woman said.

The Maltese woman of Tunisian origin, whose name cannot be published by court order, had given an eyewitness account during the compilation of evidence against Jason Decelis, 24, of Pietà, and his parents Carmel, 52, of Pietà, and Connie, 52, of St Paul`s Bay.

The Decelis family are pleading not guilty to the Bowdler`s murder, on omission and disposing of the body on May 13, 2001 and the night before.

The woman had told the Magistrates` Court that a few hours before the girl`s lifeless body had been found in a field she had seen the three Decelis family members carry Bowdler`s unconscious body down the stairs, out of an apartment block and into a car.

She was yesterday summoned to testify again after she filed a report to the police claiming Jason Decelis threatened to shoot her if she did not testify in his favour. In view of her allegations, the prosecution is saying that in approaching the woman Jason Decelis breached his bail conditions.

The woman yesterday said she did not know that the Decelis family had been granted bail. She only found out when she met Jason outside hospital.

"I met him on the hill while I was leaving hospital where I go every day to attend a detox programme. At first he didn`t speak to me but then he came up to me and started speaking to me about the trial by jury.

"He told me he wanted me to tell jurors the police had forced me to say everything I had recounted in the course of my testimony earlier on in the court proceedings," she said.

"I ignored him and walked on but he followed me and told me: `You know what will happen to you if you don`t testify as I told you to`.

"The next day I met him in the same place and again he told me to change my version. He also told me that if I didn`t do what he said he would shoot me in the legs.

"He repeated these words to me several times. After I met him outside hospital a third time I told my brother about what was going on and he started accompanying me to detox.

"But although I was with my brother, Jason kept approaching me and threatening to shoot me and he even threatened to shoot my brother," she said.

The woman said that on May 16 she met Frankie Grech outside the detox centre and he told her she should help Jason.

"He suggested that during the trial I should change the eyewitness account I gave during the compilation of evidence. I said the whole truth when I testified and I have no reason to lie.

"For the past three weeks I`ve been a nervous wreck. If someone tells you he would shoot you, how are you supposed to feel? I don`t even have the support of my family in Malta... I was not even scared. I was terrified," she explained.

Under cross-examination, the woman denied telling Grech she wanted to see Jason behind bars. She said Jason`s parents never threatened her and that she had filed one report at the Gzira police station despite the several threats.

Grech testified he had met the woman, whom he knew for about five years, at the hospital`s detox waiting room where he was waiting with Jason to be seen by a doctor.

"She waited for me outside and told me she wanted Jason Decelis behind bars at all costs. I told her I was not interested in what was going on between them but told her she should always say the truth in court or she would get in serious trouble," he said.

Grech denied telling the woman to change her version.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Neil Harrison is prosecuting.

Dr Leo Bencini is appearing for the Decelis family and Dr Ian Farrugia and Dr Michael Sciriha are appearing in parte civile for the victim`s family.