Poolside brawl injuries did not cause man's death, medical expert tells court

Roderick Sciortino, who died after an alleged poolside brawl, sustained no injuries that caused his death, a court-appointed medical expert has testified.

Sciortino's death was the result of a ruptured brain aneurysm unrelated to the incident, the expert said. 

“There was a wrong incident at the wrong moment,” Mario Scerri told Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech during the compilation of evidence against British tourist Liam Joseph Stacey.

Stacey is accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Sciortino during a fight at the DB Seabank Resort and Spa on July 26.

Sciortino died in hospital on July 31 after life support was withdrawn. He had been at the hotel with his partner, Alexia Meilak, her family, and his daughter to celebrate her first birthday when the incident took place.

During the altercation, Sciortino was allegedly punched by Stacey.

Scerri testified that he examined Sciortino in Mater Dei Hospital’s intensive care unit. While a medical certificate initially classified his injuries as serious - citing a fractured nasal bone and a massive brain haemorrhage -  Scerri said there were no external injuries to explain the haemorrhage. The only visible mark was a small bruise on the back of Sciortino’s head, which was unrelated to the brain bleed and likely sustained when he fell.

A consultant neurosurgeon confirmed that scans revealed a ruptured aneurysm -  a weakened arterial wall - that was not trauma-related.

“It was a purely pathological bleed, not due to an injury,” Scerri said.

He added that Sciortino’s blood pressure was recorded at 200, high enough to rupture an artery, and his alcohol levels were elevated.

“Alcohol acts like aspirin, increasing bleeding,” he noted.  Sciortino was declared brain dead.

As for the fractured nasal bone, he explained that hospital records showed the same injury had been noted as far back as 2018, and again in 2024 and April 2025. The fracture had never fully healed, which was not uncommon with thin nasal bones.

Brain tumour

Records also revealed that about a month before the incident, Sciortino fainted at a construction site and required hospitalisation. He had also previously complained of severe frontal headaches - symptoms consistent with a leaking aneurysm.

In an earlier sitting, Sciortino’s partner, Alexia Meilak, testified that he had told her he had a brain tumour. However, his father, Paul Sciortino, told Times of Malta that doctors found no evidence of any such illness following his son’s death.

The prosecution is led by AG lawyer Brandon Bonnici and Kevin Valletta, assisted by Inspectors Bradley Grima and Clayton Camilleri.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti assisted Stacey while lawyer Rachel Tua is appearing in parte civile.