Drama teacher Erin Tanti knew that his 15-year-old student Lisa Maria Zahra – with whom he had a relationship – was vulnerable and had personal problems.

But “it did not cross his mind” to guide her in the right direction, a police inspector told a court yesterday.

“Erin Tanti knew that Ms Zahra was vulnerable,” Police Inspector Keith Arnaud said, adding that this emerged when Mr Tanti was questioned by the police before being charged with her murder.

Mr Tanti, 23, is pleading not guilty to murdering Ms Zahra on March 19 and assisting her to commit suicide at Dingli Cliffs.

He is also charged with defiling her, participating in sexual acts with her and being in possession of indecent images of her.

During yesterday’s court sitting, presided by Magistrate Andrey Demicoli, Mr Tanti was once again accompanied by a nurse who sat in the dock with him.

Behind him, the courtroom was filled with relatives and friends of Mr Tanti and Ms Zahra.

Replying to questions put by lawyers Giannella de Marco and Joseph Giglio, representing the Zahra family, Mr Arnaud said Mr Tanti was aware she was vulnerable. During questioning Mr Tanti did not answer police questions – except for the last few.

Then, Mr Tanti said that on March 18, Ms Zahra “left her home in a panic”. He knew she had problems and told the police about them, the inspector said.

He was asked why “he did what he did” rather than act like an “adult and teacher” and point her in the right direction. He replied that it had not crossed his mind.

The lawyers also asked the inspector about a specific drama lesson given by Mr Tanti some time before the incident. Mr Arnaud said Mr Tanti had asked Form 1 students to change their names for the lesson. He changed his name to Cliff Dingli.

When asked about this by the police, and if he had picked that name for a reason, he did not reply.

Mr Tanti’s lawyers, Michael and Lucio Sciriha, asked the inspector about the content of social media site Tumblr.com and Ms Zahra’s “blog” Omens of Darkness for which her username was Redrum.

Michael Sciriha read out a post written by Ms Zahra: “I want to watch my skin tear apart...Watch blood drip from my body.”

Dr Sciriha asked about the timing of the police questioning of Mr Tanti following the incident. Was he on medication? Did they have the psychiatrist’s go-ahead?

The inspector said the first time he spoke to Mr Tanti in hospital, he did not have the psychiatrist’s approval since there was an urgency to understand what happened. He was not in uniform at the time.

When he noticed Mr Tanti could incriminate himself, the necessary steps were taken, he said.

The inspector also said the autopsy on Ms Zahra showed the victim had “scratches to the wrists” among her injuries. He said he had been informed that a teddy bear with blades hidden inside it was found in her room. When asked by Dr de Marco about a text message conversation between Mr Tanti and Ms Zahra – that spanned between 6.30 and 10.30pm on March 18 – he said it seemed Mr Tanti had raised the subject of death and suicide and even asked Ms Zahra if she had left her suicide note where it could be found.

Reported missing

On March 18 vice squad police were informed that Nicholas Zahra had reported his sister missing and suspected she was with Mr Tanti, sergeant Bernardette Valletta said in court.

She went to Ms Zahra’s house and searched her room where she found a negative pregnancy test, a plastic folder with papers and a small amount of suspected cannabis.

There was also a small amount of blood and Ms Zahra’s brother said that, the day before, she had slit her wrists. This was not the first time.

Her brother also told her that, the day before, Mr Tanti had spent the night in her room and his presence was caught on CCTV. He informed his father, Tony Zahra, who was abroad. His father told him to take care of his sister.

On March 18, Ms Zahra’s father returned to Malta. The father said he was in Dubai and last spoke to his daughter when he told her he would be returning home the following day. When Inspector Sylvana Briffa took the stand she said a suicide note was found in Ms Zahra’s room.

Ms Briffa went to speak to Mr Tanti’s mother, Caroline, who did not know where her son was since he lived alone in Valletta. Police entered his apartment where they found a note addressed to his mother.

Mr Tanti’s mother said her son had asked her to speak to the people at Appoġġ, whom she was in contact with, because he feared he might harm himself and he was bulimic but, she said, Appoġġ never got back to her.

The mother said Mr Tanti had described Ms Zahra to her as “troubled”.

On March 18 he called his mother at 9.30pm and told her and his sister that he loved them. He asked for his father’s new mobile number but did not get through.

Found at Dingli Cliffs

Sergeant Conrad Debattista went to Dingli Cliffs on March 19 after being informed that people had spotted a man calling for help. When he arrived he saw Mr Tanti on a rock – a “considerable distance” below the cliffs.

Mr Tanti was airlifted by a helicopter and taken to a nearby ambulance. After checking with the medical team, he asked him for name and details. The sergeant said he did not caution Mr Tanti since he was not taking a statement but was trying to establish if Ms Zahra was with him.

Mr Tanti told him that the previous night, “Lisa went to him” and they drove to Dingli at about 11pm. There they took 42 aspirin pills each. When they realised they had not managed to end their lives, they walked to the edge.

Ms Zahra was determined to jump but he was not sure. At about 3am she jumped and, closing his eyes, he followed.

When he realised he was still alive he tried to get up, to kill himself, but he was in pain and could not move.

He managed to drag himself along, falling, until 4pm when he arrived on the rock where he was found. He knew the time because he looked at his watch.

Meantime the armed forces found Ms Zahra’s body. She had a brown jacket next to her.