The wife of a bank messenger who was shot dead at San Gwann almost nine years ago this afternoon described her distress when she went to the scene and found that her husband had been murdered.

Mary Ferriggi gave evidence in the trial of Joseph Zammit, who is accused of the murder of her husband Alphonse outside the Bank of Valletta Branch in September 2000. The prosecution is saying that Mr Zammit was with another three men who held-up Mr Zammit thinking he was about to deposit cash. He was only carrying documents.

Mrs Ferriggi said that she had been married to her husband for 20 years and they had a 12-year-old son at the time.

On the day of the incident, her mother-in-law phoned her twice to ask if she had heard the news, while fearing that Alphonse may have been involved.

She then urged her to phone the bank to make sure he was OK.

Mrs Ferriggi said she phoned, but was told she could not speak to her husband.

Amid growing alarm and confusion she decided to go to San Gwann (she lived in nearby Swatar). On approaching the bank she saw a lot of policemen and then recognised her husband’s hand beneath the white sheet on the pavement outside the bank.

Mrs Ferriggi said she was overcome with distress and went running towards him, wanting to wake him up to take him home.

During this evening’s sitting, jurors were also shown CCTV images of Mr Ferriggi arriving outside the bank and being shot from a car, although the people who shot him could not be seen.