Man stands trial for attempted murder

A witness in an attempted murder trial yesterday told jurors that she was driving home when she was stopped by a man who asked her to follow a cyclist he claimed had tried to kill him.

"As I was driving towards my Madliena house a man, who I knew was nicknamed Kelly, ran into the road and when I stopped the car he got in and asked me to drive him to the police because someone had tried to kill him," Angela Satariano said.

"Then, as I was about to turn, I saw someone come out of Kelly's driveway on a bicycle. Kelly told me he was the man who had tried to kill him and asked me to follow him," she said.

Satariano was testifying before Mr Justice Geoffrey Valenzia in the trial by jury of Emanuel Zammit, 65, of Bormla who is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Michael Angelo Fenech, also known as Il-Kelly, in Madliena and holding him against his will on February 23, 1998.

Zammit is also pleading not guilty to stealing court exhibits, including a sub-machine gun from the strong room at the law courts on the night between September 18 and 19, 1993 and handling stolen property.

He is also pleading not guilty to keeping and carrying a firearm and ammunition without a licence and at the time of the commission of a crime, failing to pay value added tax and duty on the sub-machine gun and firing it in a residential area.

Satariano explained that although she did not want to get involved in the matter she followed the bicycle anyway.

She explained that when she arrived near Splash and Fun, in Bahar Ic-Caghaq, she lost sight of the cyclist so she stopped the car.

Fenech got out and ran onto a traffic island, across the road from the cyclist who was standing behind a boundary wall in the corner of the road.

She said Fenech told the cyclist he had recognised him and the cyclist pointed something at him, but she could not remember what it was.

Meanwhile, Satariano contacted the police and told them where she was and what had happened.

Fenech got back into the car, the cyclist proceeded down the hill and she drove after him until she lost sight of him a second time. Some time later police arrived on the scene and Satariano remained there for a few minutes but after consulting with a police sergeant, she went home "and that was the end of it," she said.

PS John Mary Cefai explained that when police apprehended Zammit as he emerged from some bushes, he told them he had gone for a walk and had stopped by the side to rest.

A few metres away from him police found a sack containing a high-calibre gun, a cap, a white handkerchief and other items.

Earlier, the bill of indictment was read out to the nine jurors and the three supplementary jurors.

The bill claims that on the night between September 18 and 19, 1993 Zammit broke into the law court's strong room and stole, among other things, a sub-machine gun.

On February 23, 1998, Zammit, armed with the sub-machine gun and a pistol, waited outside Fenech's Madliena home with the intent to kill him.

When Fenech arrived home at about 2 p.m., he parked his car in the driveway and made his way to the main door.

But as he was standing outside, his keys fell out of his pocket and when be bent over to pick them up he heard a gun shot and turned to see Zammit pointing a gun at him.

Fenech, who had never met Zammit, walked towards him to ask what had happened. When Zammit saw Fenech approach him he tried to reload the gun but did not manage so he escaped towards St Andrews on a bicycle.

After some time Satariano drove past Fenech's house and he told her what had happened, got into her car and the two drove to a police station.

On the way, however, they saw Zammit and tried to stop him but when he noticed them he pointed a gun a them and threatened to fire if they approached him.

The two got scared and went to file a police report. Later that day the police apprehended Zammit near Splash and Fun. He was in the possession of a firearm.

Senior counsel to the Republic Dr Mark Said is prosecuting.

Dr Giannella Caruana Curran and Dr Emanuel Mallia are appearing for Zammit while Dr José Herrera and Dr Joseph Giglio are appearing in parte civile.

The trial continues.