The man accused of robbing and beating up former Labour Party MP Anthony Zammit in his home yesterday admitted he was “no angel” but categorically denied having been part of the armed robbery.

Taking the witness stand, the accused, Kenneth Ellul, 39, from Marsascala, told jurors that although he had a chequered past and had spent time behind bars, he honestly had nothing to do with it.

Mr Ellul, known as Il-Lula, is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring the retired surgeon, holding him against his will and to aggravated theft at around 4am on August 12, 2008.

Mr Ellul, the prosecution claims, was one of three aggressors who subjected Mr Zammit to a two-hour beating that left him badly bruised and with a fractured eye socket.

Testifying, Mr Ellul said the first time he had ever seen the victim was in court during the compilation of evidence, and the first time he had ever seen the house was in photographs taken by a court-appointed expert, which were exhibited in court.

‘I’ve spent time behind bars but I had nothing to do with it”

Asked about the testimony of Christopher Shepherd and Christian Ellul, who claimed he had told them of his part in the crime, he said they had lied.

He was not at all surprised that Mr Shepherd had changed the versions he had given to the police.

Asked by the prosecution what motive Mr Shepherd had to lie about him, Mr Ellul said if they had done their homework properly they would know the reason.

Addressing similar allegations made by Christian Ellul, the accused said that although he had shared drugs with him and they were good friends in the past, everything he had told police was a lie.

Mr Ellul rubbished another claim made about him by Mr Shepherd, that after the robbery he had sold a gold ring stolen from Mr Zammit.

The accused said that he was addicted to drugs at the time, and argued an addict would not hold on to a gold ring but sell it straightaway.

Kevin Valletta, from the Attorney General’s Office, turned up the heat and pressed Mr Ellul on the reason why the police and the two witnesses claimed he was the person who had committed the crime.

At that point Mr Ellul got angry and adamantly denied being part of it, saying: “I was not there.”

He added: “Mr Valletta, do you know what it means to sit here in the dock for nothing, for something you did not do?”

The two men were told to calm down by Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano.

In her closing arguments, defence lawyer Josette Sultana told the jurors there was no physical evidence linking her client to the crime and the prosecution had failed to prove its case, as requested by the law, beyond all reasonable doubt.

She said Police Inspector Joseph Mercieca placed Mr Ellul at the crime scene after seeing someone tall in CCTV footage captured outside the house.

Lawyer Lara Lanfranco, from the Attorney General’s Office, told the jurors in an impassioned manner that even after six years, Mr Zammit still suffered the psychological consequences of having been robbed and beaten in his own home.

Referring to the passionate way Mr Zammit had recounted being beaten with a sawn-off shotgun, she said his tears were genuine and he was not acting.

Dr Lanfranco noted Mr Zammit’s eye for detail and said his profession as a surgeon meant that he looked at such details.

Despite going through such a trauma, he managed to keep his wits about him and made sure to take note of identifying factors.

The trial is expected to resume today.