Witness describes scene after fatal Marsalforn stabbing
Man was seen going into garage, holding a large knife
A witness told jurors on Monday that he saw a man he did not know holding a knife and walking into a garage where a fight involving about five men was taking place. Some time later, he saw another man walk out of the garage and fall to the ground.
The witness, Abboud Abdul Atlas, testified in the trial by jury of Maher Aljasem, a Syrian national who is pleading not guilty to the murder of fellow Syrian Fawaz Njem, then 25, on May 7, 2022.
The prosecution is claiming that earlier in the day, Aljasem hit Njem at the Marsalforn seafront with a plastering tool. Later - sometime between 8pm and 10pm - Aljasem allegedly stabbed Njem in a garage under construction. Njem was stabbed in his vital organs, with the knife reaching his heart. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Gozo hospital.
A second man, Kazem Adalaa, sustained slash wounds certified as slight injuries.
In testimony that dragged on all morning - and is expected to continue this afternoon - the witness said that on the night in question he was in Marsalforn, on his way to have a coffee after work, when he heard shouting and people insulting one another in the road in front of a garage.
There were about five people.
He noticed they were Syrians like him but did not recognise anyone at the time. He was standing across the road.
One person pushed another towards the garage door, which opened, and they went inside. Then someone came out from a nearby building holding a knife and entered the garage.
“It was not small - that’s how I saw it,” he said, adding that he did not know the person holding the knife.
Later, he recognised Njem, who had worked with him for a week in construction.
He said he did not know the accused and did not recognise him.
He saw Njem come out of the garage alone and cross the road towards a garden. He was bleeding.
“I held him up. Then he fell to the ground, on the pavement,” he said. He did not call the ambulance but he went to call for help, shouting to two friends to get the car. When they returned, Njem was lying unconscious on the ground. They carried him to the car and took him to hospital.
The witness said he did not recall seeing the accused or anyone else leave the garage. The witness denied any involvement in the fight or knowing it was planned.
He said that he had been living in Malta for 16 years and had never had issues with fights.
Mr Justice Neville Camilleri is presiding over the trial. Lawyers Angele Vella and Cynthia Tomasuolo are prosecuting on behalf of the Attorney General. Lawyers Peter Fenech, Amy Zahra and Elena Fenech are assisting the accused.Lawyers Franco Debono and Matthew Xuereb are appearing parte civile.