Victim recounts how he fell out with accused

A Zurrieq man who stands charged with the attempted murder of a man in Paceville told the police he had been attacked by the victim before and had started keeping a pen knife because he was afraid of him, police inspectors told the court yesterday.

Inspectors David Saliba and Mario Tonna were testifying in the case against Noel Mizzi, 27, who is pleading not guilty to trying to kill Albert Mark Sammut by stabbing him repeatedly with a pointed instrument and permanently scarring him in Paceville on April 21.

Insp. Saliba testified he had spoken to the victim in hospital and the latter had given him the accused`s mobile phone number. The officer called the accused and asked him to go to the police headquarters and the accused had told him the victim was bothering him by calling him over the phone and by sending him SMSs.

Mizzi told the police the victim had sent him a message saying he was at Footloose and if he wanted to settle their argument he should look for him there and the accused went.

Insp. Saliba said a fight broke out inside the bar but bouncers took the accused outside.

Sammut, the victim, testified that he was in the bar and Mizzi came in and pushed him. The bouncers then took Mizzi outside. Some half an hour later, the accused called him on his mobile phone and told him he was waiting for him outside.

Sammut said his girlfriend, whom Mizzi also knew, tried to persuade him to ignore him but he "accepted the challenge and went. There was a brief scuffle and I felt a sharp pain in my arm and abdomen and started bleeding profusely," he said.

Sammut testified he knew Mizzi and often passed work to him as they were both in the transport business. But one day one of Mizzi`s drivers had left two passengers stranded and as a result they lost their flight and he had received a bill for Lm700. They had argued and fought about the matter and fell out with each other.

Inspector Saliba said the accused`s phone number was practically identical to that of one of his employees. The victim often wanted to call Mizzi`s employee but mistakenly ended up phoning the accused and the latter thought the victim was calling him on purpose to molest him.

Police Inspectors David Saliba and Mario Tonna prosecuted.

Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Philip Farrugia Galea appeared for Mizzi.

Dr Anglu Farrugia appeared for Sammut.