A Ukranian who is being charged with the murder of his wife had told the police that he panicked after his wife fell into a shaft and only asked a neighbour to report the accident the following morning.

Testifying in the compilation of evidence against Sergii Nkytiuk, Inspector Keith Arnaud said Mr Nkytiuk, who is pleading not guilty to murdering his wife Liudymyla on November 9, had initially said he had never had any serious arguments with his wife Liudymyla.

However, Mr Nkytiuk’s friend Vitali Pidkypnyi said he had a sexual relationship with Liudymyla and on two days before the incident he was invited to a party at the Nkytiuks’ in St Paul’s Bay.

A drunk Mr Nkytiuk accused him of having an affair with his wife and he left to avoid trouble.

But, Mr Pidkypnyi told the court he received a a call from Liudymyla, which he ignored, followed by a text message asking him to meet her.

He went to meet her and realised that she had a swollen and red right eye and bleeding lips.

Mr Pidkypnyi said the two spent the night together at San Pawl Hotel and the following morning they went to Harley’s Bar where they met two of Liudymyla’s friends. A beating from her husband was briefly mentioned during this meeting. He said this was the last time he saw her alive.

Mr Pidkypnyi said Liudymyla called him in the evening but he did not answer.

On the day of the alleged murder, Liudymyla's friend called at 4 p.m. to tell him that Liudymyla was dead.

Inspector Arnaud said that when he asked Mr Nkytiuk about the party, he said the only argument he had had with his wife was that she was drinking too much. But after questioning the Nkytiuks’ roommate, the police once again confronted Mr Nkytiuk.

When he continued to deny the roommate’s version of events, the police questioned the two together.

Mr Nkytiuk then asked to speak to Inspector Chris Pullicino on his own and gave a different statement.

In this statement he said that Liudymyla did not sleep at home on the night between November 7 and 8 and turned up on the night between November 8 and 9 telling him she was going to take her clothes and move out.

He told her that if she was going into the apartment she had to stay there otherwise she would have to move out without her clothes.

Mr Nkytiuk said she pushed him and ran upstairs. He tried to grab her but she slipped through his hands. Once she was on the top floor, where no one lived and which was in the dark, she ran, did not see the entrance to the shaft, and fell.

He heard her crying in pain, panicked and returned to the flat.

In the morning he asked a neighbour to call the police as his wife had fallen into a shaft.

The case continues.