A witness in a trial by jury yesterday admitted he had lied under oath in the Magistrates’ Court during the compilation of evidence against his friend who stands charged with attempted murder.

Ivan Falzon yesterday initially denied having witnessed a fight between Marco Vella, known as Il-Ħabsi, and his cousin Stephen Falzon, L-Ingliż, during which Raymond Farrugia, who intervened, was stabbed allegedly by Mr Vella outside the Balzan Labour Party club in August 2003.

Lawyer Lara Lanfranco, from the Attorney General’s Office, confronted Mr Falzon with another two different versions, one that he had given during the magisterial inquiry and another in the subsequent compilation of evidence. She did not read out the two versions but in both Mr Falzon said he had witnessed the fight.

After pressing him further to answer her questions about what precisely he had seen, Mr Falzon said the version he had given in the inquiry was correct while that in the compilation of evidence was wrong.

Under cross-examination, conducted by defence lawyer Marion Camilleri, the witness said he saw the victim punch the accused and then saw the victim’s brother, Mario Farrugia, hit the accused with Raymond Farrugia’s crash helmet three times.

Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano, visibly irritated, questioned him about which was the correct version because he had so far heard three different accounts.

Mr Falzon replied it was both previous versions (in the inquiry and the compilation), which the judge said was impossible because they were different.

The witness then gave a very concise version, which tallied with what he had told the inquiring magistrate: The men got into a fight and Mario Farrugia hit the accused on the head with the helmet to break it up.

The jurors are expected to retire to deliberate this afternoon.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto also represented Mr Vella.