Three men who burgled and beat up former Labour MP Anthony Zammit must have had prior knowledge of the inside of his house because of its “labyrinthine” layout, jurors heard yesterday.

Taking the witness stand, court appointed expert Richard Aquilina said the aggressors had entered the house from the front door and there were no signs of forced entry.

Mr Zammit had given out at least four copies of the key to his front door, jurors heard yesterday during the trial of a man accused of burgling the house and beating up Mr Zammit.

The keys were given to his maid, Carmen Schembri, her husband Phillip, a handyman, Alfred Cauchi, another handyman, and Mr Zammit’s sister-in-law. A further three keys also existed but it was not said to whom they were given, if at all. The trial is of 39-year-old Kenneth Ellul, of Marsascala, also known as Il-Lula, who is pleading not guilty to theft, causing serious injury to Mr Zammit, a surgeon, and holding him against his will on August 12, 2008. There were three other men involved in the case but Mr Ellul was the only one charged as the others remain at large.

During yesterday’s sitting, Phillip Schembri, Mr Zammit’s handyman, said that together with his wife Carmen he would look after Mr Zammit and carry out any jobs he needed doing while Ms Schembri would cook and clean for him.

On the day in question, he received a phone call at about 4am from someone he did not name and was told to go down to Mr Zammit’s house.

Another phone call followed from a policeman, whom he knew by his nickname il-Giza, who told him to get down there too and open the door.

When they walked in there were no signs that anyone had stolen from the house but they heard faint moaning coming from the bedroom.

The policeman broke the door down because it was locked and there on the bed, lying naked and face down, was Mr Zammit with his hands tied behind his back with a neck tie.

He was badly bruised and had bloodied lips. They untied him and got him to go downstairs while one of them fetched him some tea from the bar next door which opened very early.

The case continues this morning.