Prostitute's boyfriend and client recount stabbing

Jurors in an attempted murder trial yesterday heard conflicting versions of how the boyfriend of a prostitute ended up stabbing one of her clients.

The nine jurors, all men, heard the client explain how the prostitute's boyfriend - Keith Galea - stabbed the client soon after she took off with his money but refused to let him touch her.

They also heard Mr Galea explain how he was alarmed by his girlfriend's account that she had been assaulted by the client and that he (Mr Galea) had brandished his flick knife out of fear but did not wish to injure anyone.

The jurors heard several testimonies in the first sitting of the trial against Mr Galea, 25, of Sta Venera presided by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono.

Mr Galea is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of the client and the illegal possession of a knife in Gzira on the night between September 27 and 28, 2001.

The names of the client and the woman cannot be published by court order.

Jurors first heard the woman explain that she worked as a prostitute in the Gzira area. She met the client and they agreed that he would pay her Lm10 for 10 minutes of oral sex and sexual intercourse.

They drove to Manoel Island in his van and, 10 minutes later, she pointed out that time was up. But they had not yet had sex and, when she tried to leave his van, he grabbed her. She managed to dial Mr Galea by pressing a speed dial key on her phone but did not get to speak to him. She eventually managed to get out the van and escaped.

In his testimony the client denied assaulting the woman. He said that when he parked the van she asked him to pay in advance and he did. Then, he went on to explain, when he tried to touch her she stopped him and told him that only she could touch. At that point he complained and asked for his money back but she ran out of the van.

About 15 minutes later he heard a vehicle breaking and saw a van's lights.

As he was sitting in the driver's seat, pulling up his trousers, Mr Galea - whom he had never seen before - approached his window, shouting.

The client opened the van's door, pushing Mr Galea with it, and stepped out of his van.

"He started waving both his arms around left, right and centre. I hadn't yet noticed he had a weapon. Then when I looked down at my shirt I noticed that it had turned red. I ran round the van and he ran after me and shouted that he would kill me.

"I told him that I was hurt and asked him to let me go to hospital or I would die. He told me to tell the police that I had been hurt during a fight in Paceville and that if I told them about this he would kill me one day or another. He then got into his van and drove away," the client said.

Jurors also heard Mr Galea testify in his defence. He explained how at the time the woman was his girlfriend and, although he knew what she did, he did not approve of it.

On the night of the incident he was drinking at a bar in Gzira. He had had about 12 bottles of beer. After a while the woman went out into the road to pick up a client.

He received a phone call at about 2 a.m. He recognised her mobile number but could only hear her cry and scream.

"I lost my mind. I went to my van and drove to the alley in Manoel Island where I knew she went with men.

"When I arrived there I saw her walk up the hill. She was shaking and had tears in eyes. She told me that the client wanted a lot of sex, he wanted to tear her top and that he held her against her will but she did not have any wounds."

He explained how he drove into the alley and there was the client in his van.

"I got out of my van to tell him to leave her in peace. As I approached him at normal pace, he opened the door, came down and approached me in a savage manner.... Judging from his attitude his intention was to beat me up...

"I got frightened. It was dark and I didn't know what to do. I automatically reached for the flick knife I kept in my pocket and brandished it. I surely hit him but then I did not notice. He kept walking towards me, like a bulldozer. At some point I raised my arm to protect my face from him and I think I must have stabbed him.

"I threw the knife on the ground and asked him what he did to her. He said he did nothing so I picked up the knife and drove off. I later threw the knife in the sea," Mr Galea said.

He added that he kept the knife, which he had bought from the Valletta market, in his possession but never intended to use it to assault or stab anyone.

The trial continues this morning.Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara is prosecuting. Defence counsel Lesley Cuschieri is representing Mr Galea.