Trial hears of bar brawl that left Filipino sailor dead

"I didn't mean to hurt him, only scare him away". That is what 34-year-old Charles Demicoli told the police when they questioned him about the murder of a Filipino sailor whose skull was smashed by a bar stool on Christmas Eve nine years ago.

Mr Demicoli is standing trial by jury and pleading not guilty to murdering Perfecto Rabino Montalban, 44, when he allegedly hit him on the head with a bar stool in Cherries Bar, Birżerbbuġa in 2000.

In a police statement that was read out by defence lawyer Gianella Caruana Curran, he said he had thrown the bar stool at Mr Montalban, who was standing only a metre away and who had earlier gone to the bar for a few beers with colleagues from the MV Mary Anne, which was berthed at the Freeport.

The violence kicked off at about 2.30 a.m. when Noel Falzon, also known as Il-Ġgant (the giant), who was drunk, walked into the bar and started pushing people around, Superintendent Carmel Bartolo testified yesterday.

The victim was sitting down with three of his friends from the ship when Mr Falzon pushed Roderick Pace, known as Il-Kanarin (the canary), onto the victim's table, breaking all their beer bottles and overturning it.

One of the sailors then went to ask the barman, Joseph Mifsud, to replace the beers lost in the commotion, a request that was accepted.

Mr Demicoli told the police that as he was leaving the bar and was half-way towards the door when he noticed that one of the Filipinos was giving him bad looks. By this time there were only two sailors left. One had left because he had an early start the following day and another because he was scared of the fighting, Supt Bartolo said.

The witness said Mr Demicoli also told the police that when he walked over to find out why the man was giving him bad looks and swearing at him, he accidently knocked over one of their beer glasses.

This was when one of the Filipinos grabbed a bottle by the neck and hurled it in his direction but instead of hitting him it landed on Mr Demicoli's friend, Johann Mifsud, known as Il-Bobo.

A fight broke out between them and Mr Demicoli said that he saw the other sailor approach Mr Mifsud to stick up for his friend. At this point he hurled the bar stool at him to stop him from moving forward.

Then the barman started spraying gas into the bar and everyone left.

"I never intended to hurt him, but only to scare him away," Mr Demicoli told the police, adding that he wanted to hit the sailor on his shoulder just to scare him away and never aimed at his head. He did so to protect Mr Mifsud and as soon as he noticed the victim fall over the barman sprayed the gas and there was pandemonium with everyone panicking to get out of the bar.

Mr Demicoli added that he did not know what had happened to the victim after that as he just left and, as far as he knew, the victim remained on the floor.

The head of the Prosecution Unit at the Attorney General's Office, lawyer Anthony Barbara prosecuted.

Lawyer Emanuel Mallia also appeared as defence counsel.

The trial continues.