Updated 5.15pm

The murder trial of a father and son accused of fatally stabbing a man continued on Thursday after concerns about the health of members of the jury were allayed by two doctors.

Defence lawyers had asked asking for the dissolution of the trial after five jurors declared being unwell. 

Kurt Grech, 31, known as in-Nemes, and his father Joseph Grech, 61, both from Pieta, are accused of murdering 21-year-old Brandon Pace in Ħamrun. 

The two are charged with wilful homicide, unlawful possession of knives, breaching public peace and good order and threatening the victim’s mother, Lisa Pace and partner Jessica Bilocca.

Earlier on Thursday, defence lawyer Edward Gatt had said he was "not comfortable going to a verdict with five people who are unwell" after five of the nine jurors reported having a “chest infection”.

However, doctor Deo Debattista testified that all five jurors were feeling in an better state than they were the preceding day.

Kurt and Joseph Grech stand accused of Pace's murder . File photo.

Madame Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera asked Debattista whether their illness, or the medication they were taking, would affect their concentration.

Debattista said the jurors were fit enough to pass a judgement in the case, adding that none of them informed him that they were so unwell that they wished to stop being part of the jury.

On a request made by the prosecution, the court nominated another doctor to examine the jurors to get a “second opinion” to ensure their conditions were not affecting their concentration.

The second doctor declared the jurors were healthy enough to continue.

In a previous sitting, the court heard how the father Joseph Grech should not be charged with voluntary homicide as he went there to calm his son down and grabbed a knife only after seeing his son covered in blood.

‘I had to hide Kurt from Jessica’

Former colleague of Kurt Grech, Jonathan Abela, testified about how he had to hide Kurt Grech from Jessica Bilocca and Brandon Pace, who used to visit the shop.

Bilocca, who was Pace's partner at the time of the murder, also had a child with Kurt Grech.

Abela testified that Bilocca and Pace had come to the shop three times, shortly before the incident.

“I always kept the peace,” Attard said.

In a previous sitting, the police inspector told the court Joseph Grech had told the police that Bilocca and Pace had gone to Kurt Grech’s workplace once, but could not find him.

During Thursday's sitting, it also emerged that the father and son had told the police about the “trouble” Kurt Grech faced with his ex-partner.

In one incident, he recalled how Bilocca punched Kurt Grech with a knuckle duster while Pace was present.

Bilocca had also posted a picture of Kurt Grech on social media, together with a threatening message. Pace commented on the post: “I’ll sort him out”.

Lawyer Vincent Galea also took the stand on Thursday, testifying that he had represented Kurt Grech in 2016, when he was concerned about his child’s wellbeing.

Kurt Grech and Jessica Bilocca, have a child. Details of this child have been censored by the court.

Kurt Grech was concerned because Pace, who had begun dating Bilocca, was spending time with this child.

Galea said that he filed a case with the child protection services on behalf of Kurt Grech. Back then he flagged various criminal cases that Pace was involved in - including being charged with stabbing his cousin.