Jury trial: Man admitted to police that he waved penknife at victim

A man on trial for murder had admitted to police that he had waved a penknife at the victim when he refused to give the accused cocaine on credit.

Etienne Bartolo told investigators that he had taken the penknife out of his pocket after the victim, Roderick Grech, had punched him in the shoulder and refused to allow him 24 hours to pay for a sachet of cocaine. He had also expressed remorse for what he had done, Police Inspector Kurt Zahra told the jury yesterday.

Grech was stabbed to death after having allegedly been involved in an argument with Bartolo over a drug deal.

Bartolo, 39, is pleading not guilty to murder.

“When he was called in for questioning, he was up-front with us and told us that he had stabbed him and also gave us a blow-by-blow account of what happened on the night of 29 March 2017. The following day, when I told him he had died, Etienne was sorry for what he had done,” Inspector Zahra told the jury.

The police also spoke to two men who had seen Grech on the ground and realised he needed assistance. One man had said that Grech was unresponsive but had said “il-Vojt, il-Vojt, il-Vojt”.

“For the police that was a turning point,” said the inspector. Police were anonymously informed that the murderer lived in Triq il-Laqxija in

Birkirkara, and it emerged that there was a person there whose nickname was “il-Vojt” – Etienne Bartolo.

The victim’s mobile phones had been examined and checked for links to Bartolo, said the inspector. It emerged that from a Nokia in the car two calls had been made at the time of the incident. They were relatively short – 22 and 17 seconds. They were from Bartolo’s phone number to the phone belonging to Roderick Grech. Several messages from other people who wanted to buy drugs were also found on the mobile phone.

These three things, the fact that Bartolo lived nearby, that the deceased said “il-Vojt” and the mobile phone contact led to a warrant being issued for Etienne Bartolo’s arrest. A pair of bloodstained shoes were found during search of his home, which were sent for forensic testing.

The jury was shown recordings of his videotaped statements to the police.

Madam Justice

Scerri Herrera is over the trial.

Lawyers Kevin Valletta and Maria Francesca Spiteri from the Office of the Attorney General are prosecuting.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo are defence counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia are appearing

Consuelo presiding