CCTV footage reveals how a father allegedly drugged his children’s fast food
Court hears testimony of 10-year-old girl behind closed doors
Security camera captured the chilling moment a father allegedly laced his children’s fast food with sleeping pills shortly before prosecutors say he launched a brutal attack on them, a court heard on Friday.
The 46-year-old Italian, who cannot be named under court order, is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of his 10-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.
He is alleged to have attacked them at the abandoned White Rocks complex in Pembroke, shortly after he took them bowling and to eat at McDonald’s in neighbouring St Julian’s.
A court previously heard that the man admitted to the police that he had put sleeping pills in the children’s meals. And on Friday, a court expert described CCTV footage that showed the man go and sit on a table outside the restaurant alone with their food, as the children sat on another table indoors.
The man appeared to “do something” with the food tray, the expert said. The children then noticed their father outside and joined him there. They would go on to complain that the food tasted strange.
A court heard on Friday that around 30 minutes after the man and children left McDonald’s, the man used Google Translate on his phone to get the text: “Today I was threatened to death [name]. I can’t take it anymore. Thanks [wife]. Your fault. I’m taking [son] with me.”
He then shared the translated text on his Facebook profile.
The boy was found leaning against a low wall at the White Rocks complex, bleeding and with serious head injuries. The girl, who escaped, flagged down a motorist on the Coast Road, telling the woman who stopped “My father killed my brother”.
Police body cam footage showed her visibly shaking at the St Julian’s police station, as officers tried to calm her.
The accused was found limping in the area following a three-day manhunt. He had been squatting inside an empty caravan.
Messages extracted from his mobile phone indicated a terse relationship with the mother of the children. The two used “aggressive language” when speaking to each other and a message the accused sent to a third party indicated tensions involving a man his ex was seeing.
Magistrate Franco Agius, who is presiding over the compilation of evidence after the previously assigned magistrate was appointed a judge, ruled that the man’s 10-year-old girl would testify in the case behind closed doors.
The child will testify on Friday afternoon but none of her testimony will be made public.
The case is ongoing.
Lawyers for the Attorney General Anthony Vella, Kaylie Bonett and Etienne Savona are prosecuting the case, assisted by police inspectors Kurt Zahra Colombo and Christian Xuereb.
Lawyers Giannella De Marco and Charles Mercieca are defence counsel.
Lawyers Maxilene Pace and Charmaine Cherett are appearing on the wife's behalf.