A man accused of murdering his former girlfriend outside a Żabbar club in February has been granted bail, almost nine months since the fatal stabbing.
Justin Borg, facing prosecution over the brutal murder of Chantelle Chetcuti, was granted bail on Tuesday after the court, presiding over the murder compilation, observed that all civilian witnesses had testified and that the risks envisaged by law no longer existed.
The accused is currently pleading not guilty to the willful murder of the 34-year-old mother-of-two who had been playing billiards while having a drink with a male friend, at St Patrick’s Club, when Borg turned up and asked her to follow him outside for a chat.
Minutes later, a stranger rushed into the bar, yelling for help.
“Call the police, call an ambulance,” the man shouted, as Chetcuti’s friend rushed outside, taking in the gruesome sight of the victim lying on the ground, a knife handle sticking out at the side of her head.
Later that evening, Borg turned himself in at the police headquarters, clothes bloodstained, blood seeping from a wound on his hand and in a state of shock.
He was arraigned and charged with willful homicide as well as cocaine possession.
As the compilation of evidence progressed, a number of relatives and friends - of both victim and accused - took the witness stand, shedding light upon the estranged couple’s 16-year relationship.
Christine Sacco, a cousin of the victim, had exhibited chats among friends, including Chetcuti, who had spoken about her fear of the accused and how she hoped to be “still alive” by carnival.
Another friend of the victim, Emma Grixti, had testified about similar chats and recalled one episode wherein Chantelle had told her how Borg had crashed her car into a wall.
The witness also said that Borg had told her that if Chantelle persisted in being stubborn, the situation would turn sour.
Dylan Meilak, who had been having a drink inside the club at the time of the stabbing, testified that he had seen the victim shortly before the incident, in the company of another man.
He said that he had not seen the accused that day but as he went outside the club, alerted by the commotion, he spotted the woman on the ground, as people gathered around her.
The court heard how the estranged couple had enrolled for family therapy, attending three sessions between November 2019 and January 2020 and booking other sessions.
Earlier requests for bail, including one filed last month, had been turned down by the court since civilian witnesses were still to testify.
In a lengthy decree delivered on Tuesday, the court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, observed that all those witnesses had since testified.
Moreover, nine months had lapsed since the violent episode which had sparked a public outcry at the time.
The court observed that the risks envisaged by law in respect of the granting of bail, did not subsist and there was no evidence that the accused, still presumed innocent, would not abide by the conditions imposed by the court.
After delving into the various arguments put forward by both the prosecution and the defence, the court concluded that the accused satisfied all the requisites laid down by law, and upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €25,000, a personal guarantee of €20,000 and the daily signing of the bail book.
He must also abide by a curfew between 8pm and 5am.
Inspector Kurt Zahra is prosecuting. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Francesca Zarb are defence counsel. Lawyers Lara Dimitrijevic and Stephanie Caruana appear parte civile.