Updated: adds evidence by the accused.
A court heard this morning how a man accused of plotting to throw a woman off a cliff had been offered €23,000 to commit the crime.
Carmel Vella 33, of San Gwann, stands accused of planning, along with another man, Josef Grech, to lure Patricia Attard to l-Ahrax so that they could push her off the cliff. The crime did not take place because Mrs Attard was afraid to approach the cliff edge.
A month later, on February 14, 2004, Mrs Attard was found shot dead in Ta' Qali.
Taking the witness stand this morning, Police Inspector Chris Pullicino said that on February 14, 2004, he was informed that a person had been found dead in Ta’ Qali. When Patricia Attard was identified he called in her husband Ritchie Attard. The two were undergoing separation proceedings at the time and the information given to the police was that the husband wanted to pay someone to kill her.
The Inspector said that Vella had told the police that while he was having a drink in San Gwann, Grech spoke to him about killing a woman.At around mid January, he took him to a travel agency and pointed out Patricia.
Assistant Police Commissioner, Pierre Calleja said the accused had told the police that he was twice offered €23,000 for the the killing. He however denied accepting.
Mr Vella had also denied involvement in the killing, adding that when he heard that she had been killed he immediately thought it was Grech as he had told him that her husband was ready to pay €23,000 for the killing.
ACCUSED GIVES EVIDENCE
Taking the witness stand, Mr Vella said that he had known Mr Grech for quite a long time but he did not know either the victim, Patricia, or her husband.
One day while he was at the San G.wann bocci club, Mr Grech approached him and asked if he was interested in some work which paid €23,000. Mr Grech told him it was to kill a woman.
Mr Vella said that his immediate reaction was to ask him if he was crazy and tell him that he wouldn't even do it for €1 million. He said that Mr Grech spoke to him again two weeks before Christmas and he insisted that they kill her, because he had money problems.
After trying to avoid persistent phone calls from him, Mr Grech called him at home and he spoke to him. He asked him to go with him because his car was at a sprayer. Mr Grech picked him up and they drove to St. Pauls Bay. There he saw Mr Grech get into a white transit van and leave. Mr Vella asked him to wait there.
After half-an-hour, he called him and asked him to go to L-Ahrax and wait near the red tower. Some time after that he asked him to drive in further towards the cliffs, however, when he got there, Mr Grech told him that he was now back in St Paul's Bay.
Mr Vella said that Mr Grech told him that Patricia Attard did not want to go near the edge of the cliffs.
Following this incident, the two men never spoke again, Mr Vella said.
He added that during the course of the investigations, he was threatened by Mr Grech who made a sign with his hand in the shape of a gun.
The trial is expected to be concluded tomorrow.