One of two soldiers accused of killing a man because he was black cried incessantly throughout his interrogation and insisted that he had not killed anyone, a court heard on Tuesday. 

Lorin Scicluna, 22, stands accused alongside his former fellow soldier Francesco Fenech, 21, of the racially motivated murder of Lassana Cisse Souleymane, who was shot as he walked home Birżebbuġa. 

Mr Scicluna had at first denied any involvement in the drive-by shooting that took place on April 6.

Testifying in court on Tuesday, senior inspector Trevor Micallef described Mr Scicluna’s behaviour following his arrest, up to the moment of his arraignment.

Under cross-examination by lawyer Franco Debono, the inspector explained how Mr Scicluna had at first told police that he had rented his car to a Syrian man,  who brought it back with a smashed windscreen.

The Syrian had rented his car for a second time around the time of the shooting, Mr Scicluna had told investigators. 

However, investigators had not bought this tale, sensing that the suspect was “afraid and tearful.”

“Why do you say he was afraid?” asked Dr Debono.

“He [Scicluna] cried a lot. In fact he cried all the while, insisting over and over ‘I didn’t kill anyone,’” said Inspector Micallef, describing how the suspect had run his fingers through his hair, bent over and wept.

“Then who did?” the investigators had asked.

Mr Scicluna met that question with more tears but no reply, Inspector Micallef recalled.

“Did he say who he was afraid of?” asked Dr Debono.

“No,” came the reply, as defence lawyer Giannella DeMarco, assisting the other co-accused Mr Fenech, promptly remarked that the man might have been crying because he was sorry for what he had done.

Earlier on, Inspector Micallef said that Mr Scicluna had told police how on the day of the drive-by shooting, he had taken his firearm to shoot cats at Ħal Far. Francesco Fenech had been riding in the passenger seat.

Suddenly, Mr Fenech had allegedly leaned across his friend, firing the weapon outside the car window and fired again as the car moved further down the road, Inspector Micallef said, testifying about the version allegedly supplied by Mr Scicluna under interrogation.

Some four shots had been fired in all, the court was told.

In Tuesday’s hearing, a man who had lived with Mr Cisse in the month preceding the murder described his friend as “a very good man.”

Mr Cisse had worked as a steel fixer at a Ħal Far plant. His former manager, who also testified on Tuesday, described him as a normal worker who never had any trouble with workmates.

The case continues in December.

Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted.
Lawyer Nadia Attard from the AG’s Office also prosecuted.
Lawyers Kris Busietta and Julian Farrugia also assisted Mr Scicluna.
Lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell also assisted Mr Fenech.