Man attacked for cousin's drug death, court hears

A man yesterday told a court that two cousins of his had attacked him with knives because they felt he was responsible for the death of their brother who had died of a drug overdose.

Johan Mifsud, 30, said he had gone to visit his mother in Cospicua when his cousin Manuel Spiteri brandished a knife at him, injuring him on the palm of both hands as he tried to ward off the blow.

Then, his other cousin Giovanni Spiteri arrived with another knife and waved it about but did not manage to hit him. Giovanni Spiteri told him that he would pay him back for the death of his brother David.

Mr Mifsud took the stand before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera in the compilation of evidence against Manuel Spiteri, 18, and his 23-year-old brother Giovanni.

The two brothers are pleading not guilty to injuring Mr Mifsud with the knives and holding him against his will at Fuq Verdala, in Cospicua, on March 28.

Speaking in a low voice, Mr Mifsud recounted that on the day of the incident he caught a bus to go and visit his mother who lived in Cospicua. Without knowing it, he sat next to a girl on the bus who he later learnt was the girlfriend of his cousin, Manuel Spiteri.

"When I arrived and was about to open the gate to my mother's house, Emmanuel turned up and told me that he'd pay me back for what happened to his brother who had died of an overdose.

"I continued to knock at my mother's door. Then I heard a car reverse and end up in my mother's parapet. I saw that Emmanuel was at the wheel of a black Escort.

"He got out of the car alone and started brandishing a knife. I tried to ward off the blows but was hit in both hands," he said showing the stitched palms of both hands to the magistrate.

"Then Giovanni turned up with a knife and he too started waving it about but he did not hit me."

After that, Mr Mifsud said, the parents of his two assailants intervened to stop the fight. Their father told him that he should not have gone to the area. But, Mr Mifsud added, he was authorised by the court to visit his mother in Cospicua for two hours a day.

After the parents intervened Manuel Spiteri immediately stepped away from him but Giovanni Spiteri insisted that he wanted to pay him back.

He had been threatened with death before by Giovanni Spiteri and a certain Patrick. Deep down, he said, the Spiteris knew the truth - that he had done all he could to avoid what had happened.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera also heard Inspector Anthony Cassar, prosecuting, testify that on March 28 a woman filed a police report claiming that she had just taken Mr Mifsud to the Cospicua health centre after he had been injured with a knife.

The police went to the health centre where they spoke to Mr Mifsud who explained what had happened and how his two cousins had each assaulted him with a knife because they thought he was responsible for the death of their brother.

Following investigations, the police arrested Manuel and Giovanni Spiteri who both released a statement.

In his statement, Manuel Spiteri said that Mr Mifsud was his cousin and he believed he was responsible for the death of his brother David. He said that, since then, he no longer considered him to be his cousin.

On that day he was waiting for his girlfriend Sara who was to arrive by bus. When the bus arrived he noticed that Mr Mifsud was sitting on the seat near his girlfriend and this made him angry.

As Mr Mifsud was entering his mother's house he went home to fetch a piece of metal and hit Mr Mifsud with it. He did not recall how many times he hit him as he lost control.

He denied the possession of a knife and later admitted to driving into the parapet of the home of Mr Mifsud's mother.

He said he was heartbroken by the death of his brother.

Giovanni Spiteri said in his statement that he never trusted his cousin but started hating him even more after the death of his brother as he felt he had betrayed his family.

He denied that he or his brother were in possession of a knife.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Anthony Cassar is prosecuting.

Lawyer Franco Debono is appearing for the Spiteris.