A lawyer representing a man facing a trial by jury over the murder of another man three years ago has insisted this his client acted in self-defence when he stabbed the victim.
Lawyer Edward Gatt said that Etienne Bartolo was defending himself from the violent behaviour of Roderick Grech when he stabbed him six times on March 28, 2017.
“I am going to ask you to punish him for what he did but not for what he didn’t do. Don’t expect the defence to come up with a fantastic account to mislead you and get a better result than it deserves,” said the lawyer.
“Look at who is credible and who is not, look at the behaviour of the witnesses on the stand. During the interrogation. Look at the body language and demeanour. Nothing happens in the courtroom by accident,” he said.
He was making his closing arguments after the prosecution declared that it had no more evidence to bring forward.
Etienne Bartolo, 39, is pleading not guilty to the murder of a man who he met to purchase drugs. During Tuesday's sitting, chief investigator Kurt Zahra explained how Bartolo admitted to having stabbed Grech with a penknife he took out from his pocket when the victim punched him on the shoulder after refusing to give him a sachet of cocaine and get paid for it the following day.
“Don’t let prejudice meddle with your judgment,” said the lawyer. “Just because a person consumes drugs, it doesn’t mean that you can pigeonhole him. The same with people who deal in drugs. If you decide to take drugs it is your choice, but if you decide to go work for Jordan (Azzopardi) it is your choice,” Gatt stressed, referring to alleged drug kingpin Azzopardi who was summoned to testify but refused to say a word.
Gatt also lambasted the investigation, questioning why the police had not investigated the drug trafficking that was taking place and neither the fact that the stabbed victim had gone knocking on the door of a man known to the police for usury. “It was a ridiculous investigation,” he said.
He said Bartolo was clearly scared of the victim and not vice-versa.
The trial continues.
Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera is presiding over the trial. Lawyers Kevin Valletta and Maria Francesca Spiteri from the Office of the Attorney General are prosecuting.
Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo are defence counsel.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia are appearing parte civile.