Jurors today found 35-year-old Noel Farrugia not guilty of attempting to murder a Libyan man in 22 July 2010 by six votes against three.

The Libyan man, Omar Faiz El Sallak, claimed to have retrieved an axe from his car in order to destroy his aggressor's motorcycle moments after he was stabbed and left with his intestines dangling out of his abdomen.

Testifying in court, Mr El Sallak told incredulous defence lawyers that he was holding in his intestines with one hand and wielding an axe with the other in order to damage the motorcycle, after he was stabbed by Noel Farrugia, who is accused of attempting to murder him in July 2010.

Mr El Sallak told the jury that he was stabbed for no reason at all at Farrugia's Marsa flat, as the two were good friends and never argued.

Mr El Sallak said both he and Farrugia, together with another person, Paul Zammit, had been cooking and consuming cocaine for two hour prior to the stabbing.

Farrugia's partner and one-and-a-half year old daughter were also present at the time.

 

Mr El Sallak said that just as he was by the door and about to leave Farrugia's flat, he felt a "stinging sensation. When I felt the sting, I turned and saw Noel, who shouted out 'Allah hu Akbar.' He pushed me outside and I went down the stairs to my car.”