Erin Tanti, a 23-year old drama teacher told police that he wanted to die ‘a slow death’ by swallowing aspirin and downing whisky, but his student Lisa Maria Zahra was  intent on jumping off Dingli cliffs.

In the compilation of evidence against Tanti, lead prosecutor Keith Arnaud said that Tanti told the police when he was in intensive care that the two wanted to commit suicide after Zahra’s father, Tony Zahra, found out about their relationship.

The suicide note left by Tanti said that he feared being called a paedophile and ending up in jail after the relationship was discovered.

Tanti told the police that they arrived in Dingli at around midnight and tried to kill themselves by swallowing the pills and drinking the whisky.

Their first suicide attempt did not work, so the two started roaming around the cliffs looking for the ideal place to jump.

Zahra counted to three and jumped first. Tanti told the police that right before she jumped she turned around and looked at him. Tanti told the Police that he then saw her hitting a rock and bouncing off it. 

Tanti told the police inspector who found him at the bottom of the cliff that he had made a massive mistake, because he was still alive and his friend was dead. 

Friend:Tanti 'a sociopath who does not care about anything

A friend of Tanti's described his behaviour of late as "a sociopath who does not care about anything."

Tanti was caught visiting Zahra's house the night before their disappearance, and it was the handyman who alerted Zahra's father to the relationship. 

Police found three nude pictures of Zahra's on her own mobile. Tanti's reflection can be seen in a mirror in one of the photos. Inspector Arnoud said that Zahra did not look at all comfortable in the pictures. 

Zahra's number was saved under the name 'douche bag' on Tanti's mobile.

Tanti told the police that he took cash and his passport with him in order to leave the country in case he did not go ahead with his suicide attempt.

When the police asked Tanti how it was possible that he jumped off from the same spot as Zahra and came out relatively unscathed, he said that he could not explain.

People thought Tanti was sunbathing on rock

Inspector Arnaud said that several people who were having a barbeque in the area spotted Tanti on a rock at the bottom of a cliff. Initially, they thought nothing of it thinking that he was either resting or sunbathing. 

Only after the barbeque came to an end did they notice that something was amiss when Tanti started to cry for help. 

SMS exchange belies Tanti's version of events

Questioned by the Zahra family’s lawyer, Inspector Arnoud said that the messages exchanged between the two hours before they went to Dingli cliffs indicated that it was Tanti who appeared to be the one who was pushing the idea of committing suicide.

In one of the messages, Tanti threatened to harm himself if Zahra did not meet him on the night, to which Zahra replied, “calm down, calm down.” 

In another sms exchange, Tanti told Zahra that he had bought the pills, with Zahra's reply indicating that she did not know what he was talking about.

Under cross examination, Inspector Arnoud said that Tanti broke three ribs and had a bloody knee after his fall. 

Inspector Arnaud said that Tanti refused to cooperate with the Police during three interrogation sessions. 

Only an hour before he was formally charged on Friday did Tanti admit that he regretted Zahra's death and he did not kill her.

Tanti claimed that Zahra's family used to abuse her.

The case continues on Thursday.