A Sudanese man knifed by a Somali friend as he attempted to disarm him told a court yesterday that the accused slipped and had not stabbed him deliberately.

Ali Eysa Ali, 46, told Magistrate Josette Demicoli that Abdirahman Saeed Ahmed, a 49-year-old Somali man who lives in Ħamrun, did not mean to stab him when he knifed him at his home on Friday.

Balzan resident Anwar Ahmed Iskander, 56, sustained a life-threatening injury, and is presently in a stable condition at Mater Dei Hospital.

Mr Ahmed is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of his two Sudanese friends and the illegal possession of a weapon during the crime.

Mr Ali, who lives with Mr Ahmed and a Chadian national, said the three friends were drinking whisky on Friday when Mr Iskander said he wanted to go home at around 8.45pm.

The three had been drinking whisky

Mr Iskander was putting on his shoes and getting ready to leave when Mr Ali went to his bed, only to hear him screaming some time later.

When he went back, he saw Mr Iskander bleeding and Mr Ahmed holding a knife in his hand. He said that he tried to take the knife away, but the accused “slipped” and hit him.

After the incident, the two Sudanese men went to the Ħamrun police station to file a report and were taken to hospital by ambulance.

When the police arrived on site, they found Mr Ahmed smelling strongly of alcohol.

He told the police he had no idea what had happened.

Police officers tried to search for knives but the objects they found appeared to have been recently washed. One knife was found with what appeared to be blood on the handle and was sent for forensic examination.

Inspector Robert Vella, who is prosecuting, said that during questioning, Mr Ahmed insisted he was asleep when the incident happened, even when confronted with the version of events provided by the two Sudanese men.

The case continues.

At the end of yesterday’s sitting, the court ruled there was enough evidence for Mr Ahmed to be indicted.

Police inspector Edel Mary Camilleri is also prosecuting. Lawyer Joseph Ellis is defence counsel.