A Libyan hotel guest arrived at 3.30am and left again three hours later on the night his former partner was killed, a receptionist told a court yesterday.

The receptionist thought such behaviour strange because Nizar El Gadi usually arrived at the hotel at eight every evening and used the computer in the hotel lobby until 11pm before retiring to his room.

Ezaaden Farhad, a Libyan national who used to work as a receptionist at the Euro Star Hotel, in Paceville, where the accused used to stay, was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Mr El Gadi who is charged with the murder of 31-year-old lawyer Margaret Mifsud on April 19 last year. Forensic tests had established that the death must have happened at about 1am.

Cyber Crime Unit police officer Stefan Decelis testified he had examined two computers belonging to Dr Mifsud and one belonging to Mr El Gadi. He found thousands of files but, at face value, there was nothing that could be linked to the murder.

Magistrate Saviour Demicoli upheld a request by the defence for chat files found on the computers to be examined and the entire chats compiled into one document so the defence could analyse them.

Lawyer Martin Testaferrata Moroni Viani appeared for the accused while Kathleen Grima appeared parte civile for the victim’s family. The case continues in June.