A drama teacher accused of encouraging his teenage girlfriend to commit suicide just over a year ago suffered a number of broken ribs which perforated his right lung, causing it to collapse, a court heard today.
Cardio thoracic surgeon Peter Paul Vassallo and anaesthetist Noel Borg said Erin Tanti had air in the chest, around his lung, necessitating emergency doctor to perform a "potentially life-saving procedure" whereby a chest drain was inserted into his abdomen to release the pressure.
The doctors both confirmed that the injuries Mr Tanti had sustained were compatible with a fall from a height.
They were testifying in the compilation of evidence against Mr Tanti, 24, who is pleading not guilty to the murder of his student Lisa Marie Zahra, 15, and assisting her to commit suicide, defiling her, participating in sexual acts with her and being in possession of indecent images of the minor.
The fatal incident took place on March 19 last year when the two were found at the bottom of Dingli Cliffs. Ms Zahra was already dead when rescuers arrived while Mr Tanti was seriously injured and spent three days in the Intensive Therapy Unit.
Mr Vassallo said Mr Tanti was asleep when he examined him in the ITU, probably because of the sedatives he had been given. He said his pulse was stable and the oxygen levels in his blood were good. He said a CT scan revealed multiple rib fracutres and a perforation in his right lung.
He said there was no need for any intervention from his part, as the chest drain, which was inserted by the doctors at the Emergency Department, was doing its job and is sually removed after 24 or 48 hours.
Under cross examination, Mr Vassallo said the injuries sustained by Mr Tanti were compatible to blunt trauma and corresponded to the version given to him by his colleagues that the patient had fallen from a height.
Asked whether the patient could have had problems breathing due to the collapsed lung, Mr Vassallo said this very much depended on the patient as people who are fit would be able to breathe normally with one lung. He said he did not know how many ribs had been fractured.
On his part, Mr Borg told Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that he had examined Mr Tanti on March 19 soon after he was admitted to hospital and decided that his injuries merited his admittance to the ITU where spaces were available. Had the ITU been full, he would have taken steps to free a bed, he said.
He said tests revealed traces of aspirin, which Mr Tanti confirmed when he told him he had ingested a number of pills.
Mr Borg said Mr Tanti also had spinal injuries and a contusion to his liver. He was admitted to the ITU and transferred to the ward three days later.
The consultant said he spoke briefly with Mr Tanti who told him that he had fallen a height. "He was coherent. He knew where he was, knew what had happened, he knew where he was and also told me he had ingested some pills. He did not know how many," Mr Borg said.
Under cross examination, Mr Borg said the chest drain was inserted by emergency doctors and that according to the hopsital file, the procedure was carried out the resuscitation room at the Emergency Department which is usually used for cases with severe injuries and where cases are not straightforward.
The case continues on April 30.
Police Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted. Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha appeared for Mr Tanti while lawyers Joe Giglio, Steve Tonna Lowell and Gianluca Caruana Curran appeared parte civile for the Zahra family.