A 29-year-old Bulgarian man charged with killing a Serbian man two years ago told jurors today that he never intended to kill but was only defending himself from aggression of a drunk person.

Emil Atanasov, who came to Malta in 2011 to work in the construction industry, also claimed that it was the victim who "walked into" the knife he was holding as he had not made any movements to stab the victim.

Mr Atanasov was testifying in his defence as his trial by jury over the wilful homicide of Krstic Dragoljub reaches the final stages. He also stands charged with grievously injuring the victim’s friend, Zoran Jocic, and carrying a knife during the commission of a crime.

The crime took place in a block of apartments in Triq il-Merluzz in Buġibba in February 2014

“I am so sorry that a man lost his life and I will probably spend the rest of my life in jail. I probably lost my family too. But I never had the intention to hurt anyone. I was just defending myself,” Mr Atanasov said as he testified in Bulgarian.

He explained how he was attacked during an argument which erupted late at night over loud music being played at their apartment.

The landlord’s son had turned off the mains supply after repeatedly asking the men to stop making noise that night. But the two Serbs who had gone to his apartment on the invitation of his flatmate insisted that he was to blame for the lack of power.

He said the victim pinned him to the wall and the other man began punching him before he was thrown to the ground.

“I felt pain and crawled back to my room. I heard them singing and laughing and wanted them to leave the apartment so I grabbed a crow bar and a penknife I had used to cut up my food and went to the bedroom next door without any intention to hurt any of them.”

“My only intention was to scare them away and get them to leave the apartment so I could rest and get some sleep. I told them: 'Leave now because I have a knife.' But the man grabbed me by the neck, pushed me against the door and the crowbar fell to the ground. I was choking but I held on the knife. All of a sudden the man released me and I ran off,” Mr Atanasov said.

The case continues on Monday when Mr Atanasov will be cross-examined by the prosecution, led by Deputy Attorney General Philip Galea Farrugia.

Lawyer Malcolm Mifsud appeared for the accused.