A Bulgarian man standing trial for murder told the police that he acted in self-defence and claimed the victim was trying to strangle him following an argument over loud music at his apartment.

Construction worker Emil Atanasov, 29, is accused of stabbing to death Serb Krstic Dragoljub in the common area of a Buġibba flat in Triq il-Merluzz in February 2014. Zoran Jocic, a friend of the victim, also from Serbia, had been charged with causing slight injuries to the Bulgarian.

During this morning's sitting, jurors were shown a recording of Mr Atanasov's interrogation by Police Inspector Keith Arnaud from the homicide squad, in 2014. Throughout the questioning the defendant insisted he did not want to kill the Serb. 

“I told him to let go and warned him that I was holding a knife against my stomach,” the accused had told the police. 

“At one point he released me and left the apartment,” he added. 

The defendant told the police that it was only at this point that he realised what had happened after he saw blood on the floor. He also admitted to disposing of the knife in an open drainage pipe. 

During interrogation, the accused said that the argument had broken out after a neighbour, Glenn Zahra, had switched off the main in protest against the late night disturbances caused by the loud music. 

The defendant said he had nothing to do with the inconveniences, which he said were caused by one of his two other flatmates, Dani Krsteski, who had brought over two Serbian men - Mr Jocic and the victim - at about 12.30am.

The accused told the police that the Serbs had blamed him for switching off the main several times but he had denied such claims. Power was cut for a third time and remained switched off throughout the night, the court heard.

During the afternoon sitting, Mr Zahra took the witness stand and confirmed it was him who had switched off the lights and not the defendant. He testified that he had switched off the supply of the entire block, as his previous warnings about the load music had gone unheeded. 

Questioned by the defence about the reason why he had not reported the nuisance to the police, the witness said this had not crossed his mind. 

The court also heard that the accused's flatmates were being allowed to stay in the flat for free in return for construction and maintenance work for the owner.

The jury, which started yesterday, is presided by Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi. The prosecution is led by lawyers Elaine Mercieca and Philip Galea Farrugia from the Attorney General’s office, while Malcolm Mifsud is defence counsel. The trial continues tomorrow.