Melchior Spiteri's trial is a warning to the police and an indication that "potentially explosive situations" must be checked before they become a tragedy, defence counsel said yesterday.

Speaking in his client's defence, Dr Tonio Azzopardi said: "The police force is a noble one that deserves respect but what I'm offering here is constructive criticism. Had the police proceeded against Jason Azzopardi when he was alive, this tragedy could have been avoided".

"Jason Azzopardi was a person who was allowed to live in a state of anarchy... He who lives by the sword dies by the sword and Jason Azzopardi's case was not a first."

Dr Azzopardi addressed jurors after Senior Counsel to the Republic Mark Said, prosecuting, declared he had no more evidence.

Spiteri, who is standing trial for the murder of Azzopardi, known as Is-Sufu, in Cospicua, on October 22, 2001, yesterday chose not to testify, as was his right.

His lawyer informed the judge that Spiteri felt threatened when Azzopardi's brother, Ronnie, had made the sign of the cross with his hand while they were in prison.

He said that evidence produced throughout the trial depicted Azzopardi as a man to be feared. In reality, the lawyer said, it was Spiteri who was Azzopardi's victim and accused had acted in self defence.

Spiteri's mother, Abigail, explained that she had borrowed about Lm90 from Azzopardi and ended up paying him Lm500. She said Azzopardi had beaten her but she did not want her son to find out because she did not want him to get worried and wanted to avoid problems.

In fact, she said, when Spiteri eventually found out he started crying.

Earlier, two witnesses, whose names cannot be published by court order, spoke about the high interest rate Azzopardi charged them on the money they borrowed from him.

One man said he had borrowed Lm3,000 but Azzopardi added interest and fines and brought his debt up to Lm360,000.

The other witness said he was Azzopardi's relative and explained that he ended up in prison after he accepted to sell drugs on Azzopardi's behalf.

The relative explained that he had borrowed Lm2,800 from Azzopardi and said he later learnt that Azzopardi was willing to have him jailed and prostitute his (the relative's) wife in order to get his money back.

A third witness, whose name also cannot be published, said he had bought a car from Azzopardi and on one occasion the victim had asked him to blame his (above mentioned) relative if he was ever arraigned on drug charges.

Meanwhile, during Tuesday's sitting Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono ordered that Georgina Farrugia and Redent Muscat be released from arrest after they were called back to testify. The judge had ordered their arrest on the grounds that he had reason to believe they were lying under oath.

The trial continues this morning when the last witness is expected to testify.