Jurors in the trial of a man charged with robbing and beating a former Labour MP have started deliberating after a five-hour address by the presiding judge yesterday.

Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano addressed the jury that heard Anthony Zammit’s gripping account of his gruelling two-hour beating.

The jurors retired after the judge’s address late yesterday afternoon to start deliberating.

However, they left the courthouse shortly after and are expected to continue this morning.

Mr Zammit told the court he was hog-tied while naked and lying face down on his bed as three aggressors beat him and repeatedly hit him with the butt of a sawn-off shotgun.

Only one of the alleged aggressors, Kenneth Ellul, 39, of Marsascala, was charged over the incident, with the other two remaining at large.

Mr Ellul has categorically denied being part of the robbery and said that while he was “no angel” he was honestly not part of the crime.

Police arrested and arraigned Mr Ellul after they received information from Christopher Shepherd and Christian Ellul, who said that he had told them he was involved in the theft.

Police Inspector Joseph Mercieca said the information given by the two men showed they knew details they could not have been aware of unless told about what was stolen and how the theft occurred.