A man suspected of committing a double murder in Marsa on October 15 was seen walking away from the crime scene, bare-chested, carrying a long metal object, raising his arms whilst shouting ‘Allahu akbar,’ a court was told on Wednesday.

More details about the dynamics of the crime emerged on Wednesday when one of the prosecutors testified in the compilation of evidence against 34-year old Ghanaian national Iddrisu Faisal who is pleading not guilty to the murder of his landlords Joe Bartolo and his partner Carmen Abela.

Faisal also stands charged with attempted murder and grievous bodily harm in respect of a brother and sister who were renting rooms at the former horse riding school on Triq it-Tigrija where the murders took place. 

During a previous sitting the court heard two other co-tenants testify about how Bartolo regretted taking in Faisal as a tenant after rent-related arguments repeatedly broke out between them.

Matters came to a head on that Sunday morning of October 15. A neighbour cleaning out bird cages on the roof of his residence across the street from the Marsa stables had reported hearing screams. He saw a dark-skinned man banging with all his might on the farmhouse door with a long metal object.

The scene of the murders in Marsa. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Horse-mounted policemen were the first to reach the crime scene from their stables nearby, said Inspector Wayne Camilleri when testifying on Wednesday.

The victims were found inside their private quarters, face up on the floor, their lifeless bodies visible through the smashed wooden front door, their heads lying in a sizeable pool of blood.

Relatives of the couple soon confirmed their identity.

The suspected aggressor was arrested soon after.

He was agitated and had to be tasered.

The man was subsequently escorted to Mater Dei hospital where he kept up his aggressive behaviour and had to be administered tranquilizers.

Meanwhile, a magisterial inquiry kicked off and various experts were appointed to assist in the investigation.

CCTV footage from a camera installed just outside the farmhouse showed the bare-chested accused walking away from the crime scene, a metal bolt cutter in his hands.

He raised his arms shouting ‘Allahu akbar’ and jumped over a gate leading to Water Services Corporation premises nearby.

The suspect was chased by one of the tenants who caught up with him and succeeded in wresting the bolt cutter from his hands, just as police arrived.

The weapon was placed inside a police vehicle and was later handed over to forensic officers.

At the back of the farmhouse, inside some stables converted into five sleeping quarters, police also found traces of blood.

That was allegedly where the accused had attacked two fellow tenants.

Faisal’s room, the first on the left, was photographed and searched by scene of crime officers.

On a chair next to the bed, they found the accused’s personal documents consisting of a Ghanaian passport, an Italian permesso di soggiorno, as well as an Italian ID card and expired Italian passport.

There were also some €1000 in cash.

A postmortem examination confirmed that Bartolo and Abela had suffered blunt trauma to their head and both had skull fractures which were compatible to blows inflicted by some heavy object.

The suspect was discharged from hospital that same day and was escorted to police headquarters for questioning.

He first sought legal advice over the phone.

But during his interrogation, Faisal first pretended not to understand and then told investigators that he was not sure whether the person he had spoken to on the phone was truly a lawyer.

So the interrogation was suspended until legal aid lawyer Joseph Brincat arrived at police headquarters.

However, after consulting the lawyer, the suspect threw a tantrum, dropping to the floor and claiming that he was not feeling well.

“He was purposely playing up to avoid releasing a statement,” Inspector Camilleri claimed.

Victim phoned police moments before her death

Police also examined calls by Abela to emergency number 112, merely seconds before her death.

The woman was clearly panicked, telling the person at the other end that an aggressive dark skinned man had managed to break into their home.

There was banging in the background as Abela shouted out, “go away, go away.”

Then she screamed and suddenly the line went dead.

The case, before Magistrate Gabriella Vella, continues.

AG lawyers Kaylie Bonett and Ramon Bonett Sladden are prosecuting together with Inspectors Kurt Zahra and Wayne Camilleri.

Lawyers Joe Brincat and Julia Micallef Stafrace are legal aid counsel.

Lawyers Jason Azzopardi, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are appearing parte civile.