Murder trial: Witness describes brawl

A woman this morning described a free for all brawl during which a Filipino sailor was killed after his head was hit by a bar stool.

Elaine Attard, who is a friend of the girlfriend of the accused Charles Demicoli, said that she could not remember seeing Mr Demicoli in the fight in which Perfecto Montalban, 44, lost his life.

Giving evidence in court in Mr Demicoli's trial, said that on the night - Christmas Eve in 2000, she said she saw Noel Falzon, known as Il-Ggant, arguing with Sammy Mifsud. As she sat on the opposite side of four Filipino sailors, she head something breaking and saw Johan Mifsud assault one of the sailors and then a free for all broke out, with everybody fighting.

The barman, Joseph Mifsud, ran out from behind the bar, got in the middle of it, and all of a sudden the crowd dispersed. (Witnesses said yesterday that the barman had sprayed gas)

She said there must had been some 15 people in the fight, with the Maltese also fighting among themselves.

Ms Attard said that Sammy Mifsud dragged the victim to an inside door. She did not, however, see Mr Demicoli in the fracas.

Later she saw the sailor propped up against a wall outside.