The victim of a fatal stabbing in Birkirkara last month cried out the name of his alleged murderer before passing away, a court heard today.

"Help! Help! I've been stabbed. Il-vojt. Il-vojt" were the dying words of Roderick Grech before he collapsed in a pool of blood in Tumas Fenech Street in the morning of March 29.

Etienne Bartolo, known as 'il-vojt', was remanded in police custody

Etienne Bartolo, 36, from Birkirkara, known as Il-Vojt, has been accused of the murder and is pleading not guilty.

During the compilation of evidence today, Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, heard witnesses recall the events as they unfolded that night.

Moira Cortis, an off-duty police officer who lives in the area, explained how, at around 1.15am she was alerted by the loud screeching of brakes and the blowing of a car horn which appeared to be jammed.

Looking outside, she saw a man running down Tumas Fenech Street towards the church, clutching his stomach while crying out "Help! Help! Gejtu."

He disappeared inside an apartment block, only to re-emerge after a few minutes. A pedestrian stopped to assist him as he collapsed on the pavement.

The policewoman said she called the police for assistance. 

Gejtu Bonnici, who lives in the apartment block which the victim had entered, told the court that he had been alerted by the flashing lights of police cars outside his apartment. When investigators knocked at his second floor flat, he found blood splattered on his door. More blood stains were visible along the stairway all the way down to the common entrance.

Asked by the prosecution whether anyone had knocked at his door earlier that night, the witness replied in the negative.

Kristo Sanjic, a Birzebbuga resident who happened to drive through Tumas Fenech Street, recalled how he has noticed a dark car with lights on, parked in the middle of the street. A man appeared to be assisting another person who was lying on the pavement.

The witness fetched a paper bag from his car and pressed it against the victim's chest in an attempt to stop the blood that was oozing out of a wound. Noticing that the victim also had a cut on his hand, the witness remained on site until the arrival of the police mobile squad and an ambulance.

Jean Pierre Pace, a  soft-spoken man who heard the last words of the victim, recalled how at around 1.15am he was returning home on foot when he spotted a man staggering down Tumas Fenech Street and then collapsing onto the pavement.

Recognizing the victim as Roderick Grech,"ic-Ċina", he rushed to help, pulling him into an upright position with his back against the wall.

Grech told him to call an ambulance as he repeatedly uttered the words "I've been stabbed. Il-vojt, il-vojt."

The witness said he hugged the victim and kissed his forehead, trying to comfort him and not making sense of the dying man's reference to "il-Vojt."

After the arrival of the police and the ambulance, the witness had noticed the victim's head droop down suddenly.

The case continues.

Inspector Kurt Zahra prosecuted.

Lawyer Edward Gatt was defence counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Angie Muscat and Yanica Vidal appeared parte civile.