The mother of Brandon Pace, the young man who was killed following an argument in Hamrun, took the witness stand as she recalled the trauma she went through as she saw her son dying in front of her.
Lisa Pace appeared before the courts in tears. "I love you mum - these were his last words," she said as she recalled the night her son was stabbed to death. Pace was called to testify in the compilation of evidence against 23-year-old Kurt Grech (in-nemes) and his father Joseph Grech. They are both facing charges related to the death of Brandon Pace.
Pace was killed on 2 April in Triq GIovanni Barbara in Hamrun.
As she took to the stand, the mother said that on the day he was killed, Brandon opened up on personal issues. He only did this on very rare occasions. She recalled how she went home and saw Brandon in the balcony with Jessica Bilicca's son. Bilocca and one of the accused, Kurt Grech, had a son together. She told Brandon to take the child to the playground and it was at this point that she heard Jessica Bilocca shouting in a heated phone argument with Grech's parents.
"I was inside in the kitchen when Jessica told me that the 'nemes' family had arrived on their door step". She then went to the balcony and saw the two accused men outside.
"At this point, Brandon was not aware of what was happening because he was having a shower. I told Jessica not to tell him anything. I then saw Brandon leaving the apartment with a knife in his hand. Kurt and Brandon started to run behind each other. Brandon slipped in the middle of the road and Kurt jumped on him with a knife and stabbed him twice."
The mother said she went to get a broom to hit Kurt Grech and to make him get off her son. Donna Pace, Brandon's sister arrived and helped the mother put Brandon close to the apartment door. "Suddenly, Kurt's father came closer and stabbed Brandon twice in the back."
She said that after the stabbing, she looked at Kurt's father and told him "you killed him" while Grech replied with a crude "let him die".
The prosecution is being led by inspector Keith Arnaud and Elliot Magro.