[attach id=258043 size="medium"]Sergeant Mark Anthony Dimech.[/attach]

A soldier charged with murder saved a Palestinian migrant’s life pulling him out of a burning room, a court heard yesterday.

Avadi Madur testified that Sergeant Mark Anthony Dimech, 44, of Gżira, had saved his life on June 15, 2010. He had been taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Mr Madur said he had set fire to mattresses and remained inside the room at the Safi deten-tion centre.

Mr Madur, who is currently in prison, was testifying in the case against Sgt Dimech who stands charged together with Gunner Clive Cuschieri, 29, from Paola of killing Malian immigrant Mamadou Kamara on June 29, 2012.

A third officer, Lance Bombardier Gordon Pickard, 35, from Żabbar, is pleading not guilty to tampering with evidence in connection with the case.

The court has heard that the officers had apprehended Mr Kamara after he escaped from the detention centre. When the soldiers arrived back at the detention centre they realised that he had died.

They had used considerable force to arrest him because he was very violent, the court was told.

Mr Madur said he could recall that Mr Kamara had been very obnoxious and unpleasant to everyone at the detention centre on the afternoon before his escape.

Mr Kamara was “acting crazy”, tearing people’s clothes up and walking to rooms and giving people bad looks, he said.

At one point, the witness said, Mr Kamara had walked into a toilet and a man ran out shouting while zipping up his trousers. Smiling, Mr Madur said Mr Kamara and this man started fighting “like women”.

The witness admitted he felt like beating Mr Kamara too because of the way he was behaving.

Mr Kamara had then headbutted a soldier and managed to escape. He never saw him again, Mr Madur said.