Man heard four gun shots on night of Marsa murder, court told

A man testifying in court in the case regarding the murder of Sylvester Farrugia said that at around 1.30am on the night in question he heard a total of four (what he believes to have been) gun shots.

Taking the witness stand, Brandon Vassallo explained that he was on his sofa that morning in a house on Għabex Street. He heard what he said sounded like two gun shots, which he said also sounded like fireworks outside his window. He then heard a further two shots soon after, further away.

Deniro Magri, 27, from Marsa, is pleading not guilty to killing 25-year-old Sylvester Farrugia in a stolen car in Marsa in February. His defence counsel are pleading self-defence, arguing he had opened fire after some people tried to set his house door on fire.

A witness in an earlier sitting, also from Għabex street, had testified that a large amount of shattered glass had been found on the road, outside her door.

Police Officer Isabella Galea was the person who found Mr Galea’s body that night. Taking the witness stand, she said she was driving towards her station to start work early in the morning, and passed through Triq Simpson. She saw a car badly parked on the side of the road, and saw a man lying on the ground, face up. She stopped, got out of her vehicle to check, and saw Mr Galea lying there, with blood on his nose and mouth, some blood on the ground near his back and eyes open. She called up her Sergeant and ordered an ambulance.

“I did not touch the body, but he looked dead,” she told the court. The vehicle had the rear window broken, and there was some glass on the floor. The body had one shoe on, and the other shoe was in the back of the car, she said.

“When I arrived there was no one else in the street. “Nobody, bar the paramedics, touched the body while I was there.”

She said that when the ambulance arrived, the paramedics checked for a pulse, but there was none.

Dr Gianella de Marco, appearing for the defence, asked a number of questions regarding the body, and whether anyone touched or moved it.

Lawyers Giannella de Marco, Jean-Luca Caruana Curran, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are appearing for the accused. Dr Jason Azzopardi is appearing for the victim’s family. The case is being heard before Magistrate Aaron Bugeja.