A friend of the man charged with the involuntary homicide of Elizabeth Tucknutt Whilems on June 26, told the court this morning he had told the accused to dump the car and tell his father it was stolen.

Ryan Micallef, 20, was testifying during the arraignment of 18-year-old Mel Spiteri, of Birkirkara, who stands charged with involuntary homicide, driving without a licence and insurance cover, driving dangerously, failing to slow down near a zebra crossing and failing to stop following an accident.

Mr Spiteri was allegedly driving the car that hit the 77-year-old tourist in Qawra, killing her on the spot.

Taking the witness stand, Mel's friend Elisa Panzavecchia, 16, said that on the night in question, she had gone with Mel for something to eat at a bar and restaurant in Qawra when received a call to go and meet a friend in Bugibba Square.

She told the Court this had been the first time that she got into the car driven by Mel, since it belonged to his father Victor, who sometimes dropped her off home when she used to go out with Mel.

Ms Panzavecchia said she had known Mel for five years and they dated for a year-and-a-half. They remained good friends after breaking up.

She said she could remember two groups of people crossing the road. When she realised that the first group were crossing the road, they were some 15 to 20 metres away. She then saw what she thought was a second group of people crossing the road and stopping in the middle.

As they reached closer, a woman stopped a little over the half way mark of the road and they hit her.

She recounted that the windscreen shattered on the driver's side and she and Mel did not speak to each other in shock.

They then drove to his garage where they parked the car, still in shock.

She said she called a friend because she had forgotten her handbag at the bar they had been before the accident and a friend of the accused, Ryan Micallef, came to the garage with her handbag.

She said she heard Ryan tell Mel that he should try and dump the car somewhere and tell his father that it was stolen.

Taking the witness stand, Mr Micallef admitted he had told the accused to dump the car because the accused had been afraid of telling his father what had happened.

They dumped the car near Vibes.

However, shortly after leaving it there they realised that Mel had forgotten his mobile phone inside. So they went back for it.

At this point Ryan, who was looking visibly shaken, told the court that he was feeling ill.

He was sat down and an ambulance was called.

The sitting was the postponed.