Yana Mintoff Bland recounted in court today how an argument spiralled into an alleged knife attack by her former partner Ghoerghe Popa.

She testified in the compilation of evidence against Mr Popa, 38, who stands charged, among other things, with holding her against her will slightly injuring her and her son. He is pleading not guilty.

The incident took place in the evening of October 24 at Ms Mintoff Bland's residence in Tarxien.

The first to testify today was Police inspector Spiridione Zammit, who said that he spoke to Yana Mintoff Bland and her son Daniel Mainwaring, 32, at Paola health centre. She was suffering slash wounds on her left wrist and on the left side of her chest.

Her son Daniel had two wounds on his left leg.

The two alleged to have been hit by Mr Popa, who at the time lived with her and had her house keys.

They told the police that the incident occurred on the ground floor near the kitchen. Ms Mintoff and Mr Pope had an argument after he suspected that she was seeing another man.

Daniel, who lived in his house across the garden from Ms Mintoff's, heard the shouting and rushed to intervene.  Mr Pope turned on him, hit him with a knife and fled.  

Inspector Zammit said he later went to the residence in Tarxien and noticed a blaze inside. The blaze was eventually extinguished by firefighters.

Gheorghe Popa (head bowed) arriving at court earlier this month.

The police also noticed drops of blood under a tree. The blood came from a meat knife at the foot of the tree. They then found Mr Pope in the tree and on taking him down, found that he was suffering from four 'grouped' knife wounds in his stomach. Part of his intestines were hanging out. The inspector said that according to forensic experts, the wounds appeared to be self-inflicted. Mr Popa was in critical condition.

The inspector said Daniel Mainwering had insisted with the police that he never hit Mr Popa, but he was not happy with his mother's relationship because Mr Popa had a 'difficult character'.

Inpector Zammit said he visited Mr Popa in hospital. Mr Popa kept saying 'I remember nothing'.

He was released from hospital on November 10 and subsequently interrogated. Initially he denied having handled a knife but later admitted.

He also admitted that he suspected that Ms Mintoff Bland had another partner 'hidden upstairs' on the day of the argument.

The Mintoff residence

He recalled stabbing himself once in the abdomen. He could not remember anything else.

Questioned by parte civile lawyer Joe Giglio, appearing for Yana Mintoff Bland, the inspector said that Mr Popa had probably climbed onto the tree from the roof of the house. The police found drops of blood on the stairs and the roof. A blood splattered mobile phone was found on a water tank.

YANA MINTOFF BLAND GIVES EVIDENCE

Ms Yana Mintoff, 65, then gave evidence in a timid voice and appeared to be shaken.

She said that she had known Mr Popa for the past two years, having met him at dancing lessons. Their relationship was normal until about six months ago when he returned from a visit to Romania. He became very suspicious, even checking her mobile phone. He lived with her but was sleepless at night and became 'almost like a spy."

At about that time, Ms Mintoff Bland said, he threatened her for the first time and she told him it would be better to take a break in their relationship. 

She leased an apartment for him in Marsascala so that he would move out of her house.

On August 30, as she was driving him to Marsascala, he threatened that he would commit suicide.

Later he moved back in with her but she warned him not to be suspicious of her, to stop threatening her, and to stop his drinking.  

A week before the incident he threatened her again and she took his belongings to an apartment which he shared with his cousin and friends. She told him not to return to her home, but he still turned up. She did not let him in. He again threatened he would kill himself.  

She eventually allowed him back to her home and tried to reason things with him and reassure him that there was no one else. He refused counseling. 

On the day of the incident, at about 7pm she went to dinner with her son and when she returned at about 9pm an argument developed. She told him she would get his belongings so that he would move out. As she was going down the stairs holding a suitcase he assaulted her, slammed her against a wall and tried to stab her in the chest. She used the suitcase as protection.

"I was facing death" she said.

She suffered injuries to her chest and wrist and then her son arrived and it was thanks to him that she was still alive, Ms Mintoff Bland said. 

Concluding, Ms Mintoff Bland said that she wanted to make it clear that the relationship was now irreversibly over. 

Defence lawyer Benjamin Valenzia request bail, but this was denied.