A witness in a murder trial today told jurors how she had once heard the victim say that he always went around armed because he had a lot of enemies.

Lisa Seisun testified yesterday morning in the trial of Raymond Camilleri, 43, of Zurrieq who is pleading not guilty to the murder of his neighbour Christopher Camilleri on October 6, 1999.

Ms Seisun took the stand before Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo. She explained that when she was about 15 years old she and Christopher Camilleri frequented the same Labour Party Club.

He was older than her and he used to bother her by asking her to go out with him. He would also grab her by the arm and once he pressed her against a wall.

When he found out that she had informed the police about his he went up to
her and told her it was useless as the police could not do anything to
him. He even told her that he was not even afraid of God.

Ms Seisun also recalled an episode where he took her sunglasses and returned them to her broken. She also remembered that she had heard him say that he would never leave home without a weapon as he had many enemies and one day he would pay them all back.

Another witness, Nicholas Aquilina, explained that in 1999 he was in charge of the Public Works' drainage section and Raymond Camilleri was employed with him. They had worked together for three or four years and he knew him to be an exemplary worker who helped his co-workers and went beyond his duties. Although Raymond Camilleri was currently suspended from work, Mr Aquilina said he would gladly work with him again.

During the sitting lawyer Emmanuel Mallia, who is appearing as defence counsel together with lawyer Giannella Caruana Curran, outlined his client's four lines of defence.

The main line of defence, he argued, was that Raymond Camilleri had acted in self defence when Christopher Camilleri assaulted him and punched him in the face just because his client had accidentally hit his car while parking. Secondly he asked jurors to consider that Raymond Camilleri had exercised excessive self defence due to fear or fright.

Other subsidiary lines of defence were that Raymond Camilleri's actions were legally excusable by the fact that he had been provoked by Christopher Camilleri who tried to seriously injure him when he punched him in the face.

His actions were also excusable because he had acted under the first transport of a sudden passion or mental agitation.

Attorney General representative Arthur Azzopardi, prosecuting, replied to the defence arguing that the prosecution believed that the evidence showed
that Raymond Camilleri should be found guilty of murder to the level beyond reasonable doubt.

He said the accused chose to fire the first shot, then to fire another one. No one had forced him to do so.

The trial continues on Monday.
Lawyer Owen Bonnici is appearing in parte civile.