The pills found in the jacket of Matthew Meilak, the victim of a crash in Gozo on New Year’s Day, contained no illegal substances, a court was told yesterday.
Pharmacist Godwin Sammut, who analysed the 35 pills found on Mr Meilak, said that, although the nature of the pills had not been ascertained, no trace of any illegal substance had been found.
He was testifying during the compilation of evidence in the case against Terrence Tanti, 22, from San Ġwann, who stands charged with the involuntary homicide of his friend Mr Meilak, a 22-year-old law student.
The fatality occurred at about 3.45am on New Year’s Day in Rabat Road, Nadur, when five friends were returning home after attending a private party at a farmhouse. Their car smashed into the wall at the second bend on the long road that leads to Victoria.
Mr Tanti’s defence lawyer, Joe Giglio, told the court that the analysis of the pills was “completely irrelevant” to the case in question, adding that it was not fair that a bad light was shed on the deceased. However, it was pointed out that the findings of a court expert had to be presented in court.
I remember the moment of impact. I saw Matt on the road at the side of the car but that is all I remember. I don’t remember the speed. Most of the night is a blur
Traffic expert Mario Buttigieg said he could not establish the speed at which the car was being driven at the time because there were contrasting versions of whether the road was wet or not.
“To be able to establish the speed at the moment of impact, I first have to establish the conditions of the road,” he said.
What he could state as a fact was that the car was on fourth gear at the moment of impact and that it first crashed into the wall and then the pole. He said the car came to a standstill 41 metres from the point of the first impact. The car’s back tyre on the driver’s side came off on impact.
Two passengers who were in the car at the time of the crash – Edward Cole and Alexander Scerri Herrera – told the court they could remember very little of the accident. Mr Cole, who was sitting on the back seat in the middle, described most of the fateful night as a “blur” and that he could only remember the moment of impact.
“I remember the moment of impact but that is all. I saw Matt [Meilak] on the road at the side of the car but that is all I remember. I don’t remember the speed. Most of the night is a blur.”
Mr Scerri Herrera said he was sitting on the front seat and could remember feeling something hitting the bottom of the car before it began skidding from the back.
“I don’t know whether it was a pothole... I felt we were going to crash so I instinctively went into the brace position,” he said.
It was only when he got out of the car and saw his friend on the ground that he realised the extent of the crash, he said. The car had no damage on the passenger side and the windscreen was intact.
He could not say if the road was wet at the time but remembered a stream of water in their lane.
Asked whether he remembered the velocity, Mr Scerri Herrera said he was not looking at the speedometer at the time but the car was not being driven at excessive speed: “[When I’m a passenger] I usually get scared but that day I wasn’t.”
The case continues next month. Police inspector Bernard Spiteri prosecuted. Lawyers Errol Cutajar, Daniela Mangion, Kenneth Grima and Veronique Dalli appeared parte civile for Mr Meilak’s family, passenger Miguel Camilleri, Mr Cole and Mr Scerri Herrera, respectively.