The doctor on call at the Gozo hospital’s emergency department where murdered warden Fortunata Spiteri was taken had been told by the nurses she had been killed in a car accident.

Testifying this morning in the trial of former bus driver Gianni Attard, 64, known as Il-Muħa, who is pleading not guilty to fatally stabbing Fortunata Spiteri, 47, in 2001, Dr Patrick Sciberras said that there were no signs on the body that it had been in an accident and when her belt was opened, a deep wound was uncovered and a number of cuts could be seen through her underwear.

Mrs Spiteri died of blood loss by the time she was taken to hospital.

The victim’s husband, Joseph, testified yesterday afternoon. He said that on the night of the murder, his wife had gone home during her break and the two spoke. When it was time for her to leave she touched him on the shoulder, which he understood to mean goodbye. Just two hours later, at about 9.45 p.m., he received a call from hospital saying his wife had been involved in a car accident.

When he arrived at the emergency department the doctor told him “she’s gone” but he did not quite understand what he meant, at which point a priest emerged from behind the doctor and said that she had died.

They had been married for 26 years, he said, and he could not understand why anyone would want to hurt her, least of all the accused, with whom he had never had any arguments.

Asked if there had been any incidents involving his wife and the accused, Mr Spiteri recalled her mentioning an occasion when she had asked the accused to move his bus because he was occupying six parking spaces. He complied but she found it in the same spot soon afterwards and she asked him to move it again. He did so but she did not issue a fine over the incident, he said.

Aldo Cauchi, duty officer with the warden service on the night of the murder, said he was told about an accident and went to investigate. He found Ms Spiteri slumped over the steering wheel and struggling to breathe.

In reply to a question by the prosecution, he said she always did her job well.

The trial continues.

Lawyer Lara Lanfranco from the Attorney General’s Office prosecuted.