Officer recounts investigations into Mtahleb drug death

A Rabat man told the police he gave heroin to a 27-year-old man eventually found dead in a farmhouse in Mtahleb on the latter's insistence, a court heard yesterday.

"Robert Borg said he gave Brian Micallef heroin after Micallef phoned him up to go with him to buy the drug. When he refused, Micallef asked if he had any at home and he initially denied he had any but eventually relented and gave him some of his heroin," Police Inspector Neil Harrison told Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona.

"Borg said he refused the fiver offered by Micallef and later learnt Micallef had been found dead," Inspector Harrison said, quoting from a three-page statement Borg released to the police.

The inspector testified in the compilation of evidence against Borg, 21, who is pleading not guilty to involuntary homicide on July 22.

He is also charged with the possession and trafficking of heroin before July 2002.

At the end of yesterday's sitting, Magistrate Micallef Trigona ruled there were enough reasons to warrant indictment.

Inspector Harrison explained how the Rabat police had been informed that Micallef had been found unconscious at his Mtahleb farmhouse and was probably dead. The information was received on July 22 at about 7.40 p.m.

The police learnt that Micallef lived in a three-roomed farmhouse detached from another, larger farmhouse where his parents lived. The two buildings were separated by an alley.

When the police walked into the smaller farmhouse, they saw Micallef sitting motionless on a chair with his head tilted backwards. There was a used syringe under the chair.

Dr John Schembri certified Micallef dead and later clinical forensic physician Mario Scerri estimated that he had died between 2 and 3 p.m.

The inspector said a plastic bag containing brown powder was found on a shelf. The bag was cut open and nearby were part of a syringe, a small mirror and a pair of scissors.

Inspector Harrison said he drew a list of recent calls from a mobile phone found in the kitchenette and the last number dialled showed the name of a certain Peppino.

"I found this suspicious because Peppino is the nickname of a Robert Borg I investigated in connection with another drug case," the officer said.

The police went to Borg's house but he was not in. They then went to his parents' and were told Borg had gone swimming to Gnejna Bay in a black Volkswagen Jetta.

On their way there they saw his car parked near the Bank of Valletta in Saqqajja but he was not in it. Police waited for him until he turned up with another two men, then they searched him and seized a mobile phone. They then took him to the police headquarters for questioning.

"Under questioning Borg initially denied knowing Micallef but then said he knew him a bit and that he had last seen him the previous Sunday. He also denied ever selling or giving drugs to Borg and denied speaking to him on the phone on the day he was found dead.

"But when I told him that Micallef's mobile phone showed that Micallef had phoned him he told me that it was true," the inspector said.

Borg eventually told the inspector that Micallef had phoned him at about 1 p.m. and asked to meet. Micallef then went to Borg's house and asked him to go with him to buy some heroin. But Borg did not want to go with him and Micallef asked him if he had some at home.

Eventually Borg gave him some heroin but did not accept any money. That evening Borg heard that Micallef had died.

Joseph Galea explained he had known Micallef for a year and got to know him through Paul Cutajar, Micallef's neighbour.

On July 22, Cutajar's 15-year-old son, Andrew, asked him to take him to Micallef's farmhouse because he had promised to help him sand down his van.

When they arrived at the farmhouse they met Micallef's parents who told them that Micallef was in the farmhouse at the end of the alley. They went there and knocked at the door but he did not open.

Galea looked through a small vent and saw Micallef from the shoulders upwards. He was sitting on a chair, motionless and looking up. Galea called him but he did not answer.

The boy went to get the key from Micallef's mother but when he returned they did not manage to open the door. They became worried and decided to tell Micallef's brother, Paul, whom they found with Cutajar's help.

It took them over 30 minutes to get back to the farmhouse and when they got there Micallef's father and brother managed to open the door and went in with Cutajar. Galea and the boy remained outside and some time later they were told that Micallef had died.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Harrison is prosecuting.

Dr José Herrera, Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Edward Zammit Lewis are appearing for Borg.