An immigrant who tried to get away from a man with a knife was stabbed seven times in front of a closed police station following an argument at the Marsa Nationalist Party club, a court heard yesterday.

Just moments before the violent incident took place, the victim, Ismael Obasa Hussein, had tried to buy cigarettes from the club as it was closing its doors at around 3.30 a.m. on May 22, 2008, prosecuting lawyer Maurizio Cordina said yesterday.

His alleged attacker, 43-year-old Emmanuel Pace, of Marsa, who worked as a helper at the club’s bar, stabbed him savagely because Mr Hussein was going to report him to the police, Dr Cordina said.

Mr Pace is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Hussein and the illegal possession of the knife.

Taking the witness stand, Police Inspector Joseph Agius said that on the morning in question he had gone to investigate the case after receiving a phone call about someone who had been injured and found bleeding on the steps of the Marsa church.

He said a trail of blood led from the police station to the steps of the church opposite. When he spoke to him, Mr Hussein told him straightaway that the accused, nicknamed Leli, had stabbed him.

In his own statement, the accused denied stabbing Mr Hussein but admitted to punching him twice because, he claimed, the victim was involved in a fight and he tried to break it up.

Behind the bar of the club the inspector found 30 knives that matched the description given to him by the victim but none was found to have been used in the attack.

Taking the witness stand, Lawrence Camilleri said he ran the bar and the accused helped him out. Shortly before the incident, they were cleaning the bar, getting ready to close, when they heard knocking at the door.

The accused opened the door and found an immigrant, who went by the nickname Mario, wanting cigarettes but he told the accused to say they were closed and to shut the door.

Five minutes later there was more banging at the door and it was another immigrant. At this point the accused left the club and returned a few minutes later to say that the immigrants had left, Mr Camilleri said.

As Mr Hussein has since left Malta, the testimony he gave before the Magistrates’ Court was read out to jurors.

He said he watched a football match between Manchester United and Chelsea in the Labour Party club and decided to go for a few drinks afterwards in the vicinity. He met his friend, who was nicknamed Mario, and the two of them first went down to Marsa where there were three bars near each other.

He said he saw an immigrant being beaten up and ran to the police station to try and report it. As he was ringing the door bell the accused started stabbing him and he pleaded with him to stop, Mr Hussein testified.

Clinical forensic physician Mario Scerri said the victim suffered stab wounds and one of them punctured his left lung.

However, there was no need for him to enter the intensive care unit and there were no complications because of the injuries.

Defence lawyer Malcolm Mifsud asked for his client’s police statement to be declared invalid as he was not given the right of access to a lawyer.

Mr Justice Michael Mallia declared that the jurors would be deciding upon this issue and that he would explain fully the situation and consequences to them.