An alleged murderer and his victim had quarrelled over a bottle of whisky and that argument had escalated, spilling onto a Marsa street where the fatal stabbing took place.

Ghanaian national Amo Frank Kwaku, 25, was back in court following his arraignment where he had pleaded not guilty to murdering 23-year-old Isaac Kwabena Kyere on June 10.

“How can I live with this? I killed him,” the suspect had allegedly cried out in shock and disbelief, collapsing on the floor when police broke the news that the victim had passed away in hospital. 

He panicked and expressed disbelief, thinking that he had only badly injured his fellow national whom he thought was still alive, testified Inspector Wayne Camilleri when taking the witness stand on Wednesday as the first murder compilation of the year kicked off. 

Police had rushed out within minutes of a call from the control room at around 10pm, about a fight in Triq it-Tiġrija.

There they came across a blood-covered man, face up on the ground close to the recently installed pedestrian bridge. 

He was lying in a pool of blood, several stab wounds visible on his chest, recalled the inspector, and although still alive, the man was losing blood fast and had difficulty breathing.

The officer had unsuccessfully tried to speak to the victim.

He died in hospital later that evening and the next day an autopsy confirmed that the man had suffered 18 stab wounds, including four fatal ones in the torso.

Other wounds on the arms and palms of the hands, were certified as self-defence injuries.

Two African nationals at the crime scene offered information about the incident, explaining how the victim and the aggressor had quarrelled earlier that evening over a bottle of whisky. 

One of the eyewitnesses handed over to police a small bag containing the victim’s Italian residence permit and some cash. 

Later that night, seated on a bench outside the Ħamrun police station alongside Inspector Camilleri, one of the eyewitnesses had supplied further details about the fight allegedly resulting in the fatal stabbing.

He showed the police a photo of the suspect on his mobile phone and also led them to the man’s Marsa home.

Both eyewitnesses testified on Wednesday.

One of them recalled how that evening, both the accused and the victim, nicknamed “Kelly”, had argued about who was meant to get a bottle of whisky when the two met at the witnesses’ home.

As the verbal spat escalated, the victim had grabbed a kitchen knife as though to threaten the accused.

“My mind was on the cooking because I was hungry,” said the witness, when questioned further about the argument.  

He told Isaac to stay on for a meal, but the victim insisted on going home.

The second eyewitness testified that he had seen Kwako and Isaac fighting outside in the street, punching each other and swearing. 

He had intervened to break up the fight when the accused grabbed a stick.

“Stop what you’re doing,” the witness recalled telling the pair.

But suddenly, he saw Isaac collapse.

He held the victim as he lay on the ground.

“I saw blood,” said the man, adding that the accused had crossed the road and disappeared out of sight. 

The suspect aggressor was arrested later that night when police broke down the door to his Marsa home, finding many other African nationals inside the premises, the court was told. 

Policemen had finally come across the suspect hiding on a nearby roof following a rooftop chase. 

The man later led investigators to various spots where he had disposed of his bloodstained clothes.

The knife allegedly used in the stabbing was retrieved from a grassy patch in Marsa.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia is presiding over the compilation of evidence.
AG lawyers Anthony Vella and Etienne Savona assisted the prosecution, led by Inspector Wayne Camilleri, Kurt Zahra and Stacy Attard.