Court orders confrontation between two witnesses

A woman yesterday explained in court how a woman of Tunisian origin offered to pay her if she testified against a man facing murder charges over the death of an 18-year-old girl last year.

"The (Maltese) woman (of Tunisian origin) approached me just outside St Luke`s Hospital`s detox centre and told me she would give me Lm40, or more, to testify in court and say that Jason (Louis Paul) Decelis had threatened her," Eileen Gatt said.

Gatt was called to testify before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera in the case of Jason Decelis, 24, of Pietà, and his parents Carmel, 52, of Pietà, and Connie, 52, of St Paul`s Bay. They are pleading not guilty to the murder of Rachel Bowdler, on omission and disposing of the body on May 13, 2001 and the night before.

The woman of Tunisian origin, whose name cannot be published by court order, had testified in the compilation of evidence against the Decelis family. In her testimony she said she had seen the three family members carry Bowdler`s unconscious body down the stairs, out of an apartment block and into a car.

Bowdler`s lifeless body was found in a field in Mgarr on May 13, 2001. Pathologists had attributed the cause of her death to a drug overdose. Experts agreed the girl had not died instantaneously because there was evidence of a drug metabolisation process which must have taken time.

The woman has reported to the police that Jason Decelis had threatened to shoot her if she did not testify in his favour. In view of the report the prosecution is claiming that Jason Decelis has breached his bail conditions.

Eileen Gatt yesterday said that on May 20, 2002, the woman approached her while she (Gatt) was leaving the detox centre from the back door.

"She asked me to go to her house because she wanted to speak to me but I could not go. I asked her to tell me what she had to say there and then. She agreed and pulled me aside," Gatt said.

The woman told Gatt she would pay her to testify against Jason Decelis, Gatt said. "But I didn`t want to cause any harm to Jason and felt I should not lie about him, so I said `no`. She hasn`t spoken to me since," she said.

Gatt said she knew Jason Decelis through the detox centre. She denied speaking to him about what happened but explained that she spoke to his father about the matter the day the woman (of Tunisian origin) testified in court last week.

As Gatt stepped off the witness stand the magistrate ordered that Gatt be confronted with the woman of Tunisian origin in the next court sitting.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Neil Harrison is prosecuting.

Dr Leo Bencini is appearing for the Decelis family.

Dr Ian Farrugia and Dr Michael Sciriha are appearing in parte civile for the victim`s family.