Victim had wrangle with accused - husband

Gozitan warden Fortunata Spiteri, stabbed to death on duty two years ago, had had an altercation with murder defendant John Attard in the course of her work in Xlendi Bay, her husband told the Magistrates' Court (Gozo) yesterday.

Joseph Spiteri said his wife had told him she had had to ask Attard to remove his bus because it was parked badly in Xlendi Bay and that he had initially resisted but eventually relented.

Minutes later she had however returned to the scene and found that Attard had again parked his bus in the same place.

Spiteri testified in the compilation of evidence against Attard, 56, of Xaghra, and Giuseppe Farrugia, 71, of Fontana, who are pleading not guilty to Spiteri's wilful homicide on August 10, 2001, at about 9.45 p.m.

They are also charged with the possession of a dagger without a licence and at the time of the commission of the crime.

Attard alone is also charged with relapsing.

Spiteri, who was in tears on the witness stand, said his wife had sometimes mentioned serious incidents she came across while on duty and among others, she had mentioned the incident with John Attard. He had mentioned these incidents to the police after his wife was killed.

Spiteri told the court that his wife had told him how she had had to tell John Attard, known as il-Muha, to remove his bus because it was parked badly in Xlendi Bay.

He had told her: "Are you going to tell me too... I'm from Xaghra like you." But she had managed to convince him to remove the bus and he had.

She had then continued with her work and moved on but returned some time later to find that Attard had parked his bus in the same place again.

On the day she was killed, Spiteri had gone to work at about noon and returned home for an hour at 7 p.m. As she was about to leave the house at about 8.15 p.m. he had asked her whether she was going to be alone but she had not replied and had simply patted him on the back.

She was due to work until 11.45 p.m. because there were two village feasts that day.

Spiteri said his wife had no domestic problems, not with him and not with any members of his or her family.

He also mentioned other incidents she had been involved in, one involving some people she had tried to stop from throwing waste in a skip in Victoria because their car was registered in Xaghra and others involving parking in Xlendi bay.

The case continues.

Police Superintendent Pierre Calleja and Inspectors Antonello Grech and Anglu Caruana are prosecuting.

Dr Carmelo Galea and Dr Michael Caruana are appearing for Attard and Dr Chris Said for Farrugia.