Wife speaks of husband's violence, obsessive jealousy

A woman who yesterday took the witness stand in the trial against her husband gave jurors a detailed account of a 23-year marriage tainted with violence and "obsessive" jealousy and explained that she felt she did not do anything to provoke her husband to shoot her.

Lourdes Falzon testified in the trial by jury of her husband Anthony Falzon, 47, who is pleading not guilty to her attempted murder outside Shopwise Supermarket, in Qormi on April 5, 2002, at about 11.45 a.m.

During a four-hour emotional testimony, that was occasionally interrupted to allow the witness to stop crying and calm down, Falzon said she had been married to her husband for 23 years before the incident.

Problems between them started about two years after they got married especially because he was jealous and obsessed that she was not being faithful.

As time passed they started experiencing financial problems.

"He would come home from work and let it all out on me. He even threatened that he would kill me or that he would disfigure my face with a knife so that no one would look at me... His jealousy was exaggerated," she said.

"I always hoped that the situation would improve, but it just got worse and the violence became more frequent."

She explained that, due to the financial situation, she decided to start working but when she found a part-time job his jealousy got worse. She explained that he had no reason to be jealous because she was never unfaithful.

On their 23rd wedding anniversary, their last anniversary together, she got home and, for no apparent reason, her husband threw a tub of yogurt at her. He then threw coffee and milk onto the floor and walked around the house leaving footprints.

After that episode they remained together for about a week but then on August 25, 2001, they had an argument and he threatened her at knife point.

"That's when I decided I could not take it any longer. I grabbed by mobile phone and ran out. He threw pegs at me from the balcony and then chased me by car. Eventually my sister picked me up and I went to the Zejtun police station to file my first police report against my husband," she said.

Falzon explained she had not filed reports before because she was scared of her husband.

Once she left the house, her son and her daughter chose to go with her. They moved from one place to another in an attempt to conceal their whereabouts from him but he always managed to trace them and turn up outside the place where they were staying.

On April 5, 2002, she went to Shopwise Supermarket to carry out promotion work for Farsons.

"At about 10 a.m. I saw him there. I was terrified and went into the store where I stayed for about 15 minutes. When I got out of the store I looked around and did not see him so I got back to work.

"In the meantime I bought some milk and bread. As I walked out to leave I saw him so I went back inside, gave the shopping bag to Roslynn, a cashier who is also my husband's niece, and headed towards the office to phone the police but the office was closed.

"I went back to Roslynn, took my shopping, told her that something was going to happen that day and walked towards my car.

"When I arrived near my car he approached me and, in a normal tone of voice, he asked me why I was instigating the children against him. I denied doing anything of the sort and told him to leave us in peace," she said.

Through tears and sobs Falzon went on to explain how her husband got a revolver out of his pocket and pointed it at her. She threw the shopping bag at him in an attempt to stop him from firing and ran away.

"As I was running I heard the shots. I ran behind a truck and started shouting for help but as I was running I slipped and landed on my back. Then he came next to me and pointed the gun at me..."

At this point the witness, sobbing, did not manage to speak any longer.

After a short pause she resumed her testimony and explained that when she slipped and saw her husband point the gun at her she started kicking. This, she said, was probably what stopped her husband from shooting her in a vital organ.

"I managed to stand up and run. As I was running towards the supermarket I felt something hard penetrate my neck and felt my head shudder. I ran into Shopwise and fell to the ground. Later I found out that I had been shot in the neck and had also been injured on the shoulder and knee," she said.

Under cross examination, Falzon said that on the day of the incident, as she was driving her daughter to Fgura, they drove past her husband. He signalled to her to stop the car but she drove on because she was scared.

She said that throughout their marriage she knew her husband to be a hard working man. Asked if he ever showed affection towards her she said that over time she learnt that whenever he did it was because he wanted something from her.

She denied ever telling him she did not love him anymore and added that she loved him till the very end.

She also explained that she never tried to instigate her children against her husband and that she told them all she had gone through with their father when they were old enough to understand. She said she told them because she felt they should know the truth.

The witness explained that her husband beat her up when they were alone but once her son had seen him to beat her with a belt and threaten her with a knife.

The trial continues this morning.

Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara is prosecuting.

Dr Giannella Caruana Curran and Dr Emanuel Mallia are appearing for Falzon.