The emotional stress of losing a loved one to murder was laid bare in court yesterday as the family of a young woman whose corpse was found bound at sea testified in the trial against her alleged killer.

The decomposed body of Therese Agius was recovered from the sea on October 12, 1999. Her mother Mary, sister Charmaine and cousin Graziella had not seen her for 11 days before the grim discovery was made off Delimara.

Joseph Azzopardi, also known as Iz-Zikki Zokk, 40, of Tarxien, is pleading not guilty to the girl’s murder and trafficking in heroin on October 1, 1999.

The victim’s mother, who at one point during her testimony had to pause briefly and was at times on the verge of tears, said she had told the accused to leave her daughter alone. Her husband had also made a police report about Mr Azzopardi’s behaviour.

The day the girl went missing, she had left the house with her sister and cousin who dropped her off at Paola square at about 8.30 p.m. and she promised to return by 11 p.m. However, she had still not returned by the following day at 3 p.m. and so they decided to file a police report.

Mrs Agius recalled how, that day, a man she knew by his nickname, Maradona, had turned up at the house and asked for her daughter. He also asked her for a set of keys and when she told him her daughter had not been home since the previous day he said he thought she got locked in the toilet. Before she could ask him what he meant he left, the witness said.

Charmaine Agius, who bears a striking resemblance to her sister, the victim, and their cousin both confirmed they had accompanied the victim to Paola square and the last time they saw her was when she turned a corner and disappeared.

The victim’s father, Carmelo, also known as Is-Swy, said he was still looking for his daughter when he received the phone call that a body had been found. At the time he was near the detox centre in Guardamangia hoping she might be there. At this point of his evidence, he paused, overcome with emotion.

His daughter had been attending a drug rehabilitation programme a month before her death and he used to pick her up and take her wherever she need to go because he did not want her to be alone because the accused was after her. He had even asked prisons director Abraham Zammit, who was a police Inspector at the time, to take action against him.

Rodney Vella, a school friend who knew the victim well, testified that the accused had said he had found the girl unconscious and tried to wake her up by splashing water on her face but then left because he had forgotten his pills at the detox centre. Later the accused told him he had only recounted that story to see whether he would inform the police because he had a reputation of being an informant, the witness said.

The case continues.

Lawyer Aaron Bugeja from the Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting. Lawyer Malcolm Mifsud is defence counsel.