A man who is currently serving a jail term for his part in the murder of bank messenger Alphonse Ferrigi 10 years ago, insisted in court today that he did not know who pulled the trigger as he had been asleep in the getaway car.

Joseph Zammit, 52, of Floriana was giving evidence after a judge warned him yesterday not to lie. He was also kept in the court lock-up overnight.

Richard Grech, 44, from Qormi, also known as Iz-Zinanna, is being tried before a jury for Ferriggi's murder outside the Bank of Valletta branch in San Gwann.

Zammit  said that three men, James Vella, known as Il-Frejżer, Chris Scerri known as Gażżetti or Buttuni and the accused,  had turned up at his house and asked him to drive a getaway car. They had also threatened him to do what he was told.

He added that he could not remember more than that as he slept in the getaway car in San Ġwann until the three men turned up in another car and they drove away.

Zammit said that he had been threatened over a number of years and his wife and  children had received death threats. He did not know who made the threats.

During cross examination, Zammit said the man who told police about the whole operation, Ninu Frendo, also known as Il Ballerin, had a drug problem and had only gone to the police and implicated everyone because he wanted to seek a reduction in his own drug related cases.

He said that he did not know who fired the gun that killed Ferriggi. 

The testimony of another witness, Dominic Chircop was read out in court as he is abroad.

Mr Chircop told police that he had bought a car from Mr Frendo and called at his garage a few days after the incident  to make one of his monthly payments. While there, he overheard an argument between Mr Zammit and Mr Frendo.

He heard Mr Frendo shouting at Mr Zammit to move his car away from his garage and in response he heard Mr Zammit say: “I told him not to shoot him, I stayed in the field”.

The accused looked very worried and was shaking after the argument he added.

The case continues.

Lawyers Mark Vassallo and Chris Cardona appeared for the accused.