A nightclub bouncer yesterday confidently identified Romanian national Antonel Dobre as the person who punched Sudanese Osama Al Shazliay Saleh, known as Sunshine, before he fell, hit his head and died five days later.

Jesmond Vella was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Mr Dobre, 27.

Both Mr Dobre and his friend, Radu Rica, insist that Mr Saleh had elbowed Mr Rica in the face when the two brushed shoulders outside the toilets in a nightclub some time before.

The Romanian stands accused of causing serious injury leading to the death of Mr Saleh in the early hours of March 17.

The 27-year-old Sudanese had suffered severe head injuries and died five days later after life support machines were switched off.

Mr Vella testified that he was standing outside Clique, the nightclub where he used to work, when the incident happened.

He saw two men, who he later learnt were Romanian, speaking to a black person.

He noted there was no shouting and no agitation but, all of a sudden, “the accused” punched the man in the head, knocking him to the ground.

“I asked him why, he said something in his language and left. I panicked when I looked at the man on the ground who was rolling his eyes and had blood gushing out of his head,” Mr Vella told Magistrate Edwina Grima.

Other security personnel arrived and called an ambulance. Sunshine’s friends appeared and wept as they tried to revive him.

Throughout his testimony, Mr Vella repeatedly confirmed that it was Mr Dobre who punched Mr Saleh in the head.

“It was him, I’m sure of it,” he said, flustered by questions by defence counsel Roberto Montalto, who cast doubt on his testimony. Dr Montalto queried the fact that Mr Vella knew his client’s surname and asked if he had spoken to anyone about the incident.

“I spent three days with the police, helping them identify who had done this. I pitied the black man who was punched. I read his name in the newspapers – who doesn’t know what his name is?” Mr Vella replied.

He denied that Mr Saleh was being aggressive with the Romanians before the incident, contradicting what had been said by Mr Rica in a previous sitting.

Mr Rica had testified that he had been elbowed in the face for no reason by Mr Saleh on his way out of the toilet at the Deja Vu club in Paceville.

On leaving the nightclub, Mr Rica said they saw the victim and he approached them swearing very angrily, sparking off an argument that involved about five bouncers.

A lot of pushing was going on when his friend, Mr Dobre, pushed the victim from behind and he lost his footing and fell down to the ground.

Under cross-examination, Mr Vella said he was the only bouncer present when the incident happened.

At the end of yesterday’s sitting, Magistrate Grima granted Mr Dobre bail after being reassured by the defence that there was no reason to believe he would leave the island.

Such reassurance was required because Mr Dobre had left Malta soon after the incident, leading the police to apply for a European Arrest Warrant to bring him back to face justice.

He was granted bail against a deposit of €5,000 and a personal guarantee of €20,000.

His bail conditions include signing the bail book twice daily. The case continues.

Police Inspector Carlos Cordina prosecuted and lawyer Giannella de Marco appeared for the victim’s family.