There was no hard evidence linking Ronnie Azzopardi to the bomb that killed an innocent woman and wounding another in Żejtun in 2005, his defence lawyer insisted yesterday as the trial by jury entered its final stages.

Mr Azzopardi stands charged with the murder of Angela Bondin, seriously injuring Tessie Grima, and trying to kill his intended victims – his former sister-in-law and her three children.

The bomb exploded on June 18, 2005, in Our Lady of Mercy Street after Ms Grima dragged the grey bag containing it across the street thinking it was rubbish.

Making his closing arguments, his lawyer Joe Mifsud said the only person who had positively identified his client was Ms Grima and she had done so from his stature during an identification parade.

The evidence, he argued, was circumstantial at best. The prosecution should have presented the men used in the identification parade to the jurors.

Dr Mifsud said it made no sense for someone to leave a bomb in the middle of the street, just before a village feast, intended for a person who he was not certain would be there.

On the other hand, lawyer Maurizio Cordina, from the Attorney General’s Office, said evidence showed Mr Azzopardi had planted the bomb right next to the car belonging to his former sister-in-law.

He said while the accused had told the police he was in Cospicua at the time the bomb was meant to have been deposited, he was actually in Żejtun. This came from mobile phone records obtained by the police.

He said Mr Azzopardi used his partner’s car to drop the bomb off.

Jurors are expected to retire to deliberate today.