A drama teacher accused of encouraging his teenage student to commit suicide admitted to a fellow patient at Mount Carmel Hospital that they did not jump at the same time, a court heard.
A Finnish self-declared criminal was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Erin 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.
The 28-year-old witness said he spent some days in the same ward as Mr Tanti within the forensic division at Mount Carmel Hospital. They spoke daily and Mr Tanti would often lend him his guitar.
Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard how Mr Tanti had told him his story.
"He told me about the relationship and everything. I thought it was pretty sad. They went to the cliffs and he was holding her and cuddling her. He didn't say they jumped at the same time - this [detail] stuck to my mind."
He admitted it was a "very strange" situation but said that when two people met under such circumstances as that of Mount Carmel, they would not quiz each other but would merely lend an ear.
Asked by prosecuting officer Keith Arnaud whether Mr Tanti had given him any reason for jumping off, the witness said he was told it was because they could not live together as a couple in this life and could only be together in the afterlife.
Pressed again for a reason why they could not be together, the witness said he recalled Mr Tanti telling him it was because the girl was underage and because her father did not approve of the relationship.
"Everything about [the incident] was very tragic," the witness told the court.
Mr Tanti told him that if they didn't jump, he would go abroad. Asked about the change in pronouns, the witness said: "You see, that's the thing - first he spoke of 'they', then referred to himself."
Mr Tanti told him he had a backup plan, that he had saved money and that there was an unspecified "location" he was going to go to. He said he had his passport ready.
The defence asked the court to summon the Filipino housekeeper of the Zahra family, describing her as an "important witness". Lawyer Michael Sciriha also asked for a psychological expert to analyse the documentation exhibited by IT expert Stephen Farrugia Sacco to analyse Ms Zahra's diary and draw up her psychological profile.
Police Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted. Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha appeared for Mr Tanti while lawyers Steve Tonna Lowell and Giannella de Marco appeared parte civile for the Zahra family.