The mental state of Erin Tanti was fragile before he met Lisa Marie, a court heard yesterday.  Police inspector Sylvana Briffa told the court that the 23-year-old drama teacher that the problems stemmed from his parents’ break-up. Erin Tanti’s father Alexander, who sat next to him throughout the hearing, left the matrimonial home and his relationship with his son soured, the court heard.

Erin eventually moved out and went to live in an apartment in Valletta. His relationship with his mother Caroline was a different story. They remained very close. He turned to her for support many times and told her that he felt that he was going to harm himself. Erin drifted in and out of depression. Caroline had flagged his behaviour. She asked him a number of times if he was ok and the response varied from ok to worry. He had told her he was seeing a Lisa, but did not tell her that she was a minor. He also described her as being “trouble”.

The court also heard that Alexander Tanti had sent him an email to wish him a happy birthday a few days before the incident. His mother Caroline said that Erin had found the email “touching”. Alexander Tanti told the police that he and his son were not close and that they had not spoken much since the marriage breakup.

In cross examination and questions put by the Zahra family’s lawyer, it seemed that Erin Tanti had an obsession with death and suicide. During one exercise with his students, Tanti made them all pick a pseudonym – the one he chose for himself was ‘Cliff Dingli’.

He had harboured dark thoughts for some time. On Valentine’s Day, he gave Lisa Marie Zahra a present – a book about suicide and how wonderful death is. His defence lawyers also asked the police whether they had looked into the social networking site ‘Omens of Darkness’.

The prosecution also brought up the fact that Erin Tanti had sent Lisa Marie an sms message saying:  “exams don’t mean shit, but good luck anyway”. He had sent her another one about how he was trying to find “a sense of purpose in this purposeless endeavour of life”.

The prosecution also said that one the fateful day when Lisa Marie jumped to her death, Erin Tanti had sent her texts saying that he had bought packets of aspirin and that he had taken some already. They had an exchange that went from about 5.30 to midnight, and the police said that Erin Tanti had brought up the issue of suicide and that was all they talked about through the whole conversation.

The court heard how Erin Tanti had left two notes addressed to his mother. One was found in his Valletta apartment. It read: “Dear mum, this has nothing to do with you.”

The other was found in his car in the passenger footwell where he had left EUR3,000 in cash and a number of cheques. The prosecution said that this second letter was two foolscaps long. Most of it contained dark thoughts, but there were also references to the fact that he did not want to be thought of as a paedophile and that he was afraid because Lisa Marie’s father Tony, had found out about their relationship.

On the night of the 18th March, Lisa Marie had also left a suicide note at home, which was found by her brother Nicholas. The police searched her room and found a towel that was soaked in blood, which they assumed was from Lisa’s attempts at self harm. Forensic experts examined the body when it was recovered from Dingli and found cut marks on her wrists that had been caused by a sharp blade.

In subsequent searches, they also found a negative pregnancy test and a substance suspected to be marijuana. 

Minute by minute report on link below:

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-04-10/news/live-compilation-of-evidence-against-erin-tanti-continues-4579786752/