Matthew Caruana Galizia took the witness stand this morning in the compilation of evidence against three men accused of murdering his mother.

Caruana Galizia recounted how he realised that his mother was blown to the death when he saw a leg on the ground in the field. The son was the first person on the scene of the crime after hearing the explosion.

Caruana Galizia was murdered soon after leaving the family home in Bidnija, on 16 October 2017. She had been working at home alongside her son Matthew when she received a phone call to attend a bank appointment.

Matthew told the court that he heard his mother's car leave the lane and shortly afterwards was jolted by an explosion.

Vince Muscat, 55, known as 'il-Kohhu', Alfred Degiorgio, 52, 'il-Fulu' and George Degiorgio, 54, 'ic-Ciniz' are charged with murder, conspiracy, forming part of a criminal gang, using explosives to kill, being in possession of explosives and relapsing. 

The case continues on 11 January 2019.

11:10 Today’s court sitting is over and the case is adjourned to 11 January 2019. 

11:09 The court directs the defence lawyer not to ask about the laptop, saying it was not the subject of the examination in question. 

11:09 The prosecution objects to questions about the German authorities. 

11:08 Asked about Daphne Caruana Galizia’s missing laptop, Matthew says: “All I know is that it’s been handed over to the German federal police by a representative of my family.” 

11:07 The family protests at the question. 

11:07 The lawyer asks: “Don’t you feel you should have parked the car inside?” 

11:06 Matthew: “Unfortunately my mother isn’t around and she’s the person to ask.” 

11:05 Answering a question by defence lawyer Martin Fenech, Matthew Caruana Galizia said that no one threatened him directly. 

11:04 The court is hearing evidence in the case against three men accused of murdering journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

11:02 Matthew: “I normally park the car, lock it, open the gate with a different fob. It was just me and my mother using the car, maybe once or twice my father.” 

11:02 Matthew recounts how the car had not been moved from the day before when he had parked it there. In a previous court sitting it emerged that Matthew Caruana Galizia was the last person to drive the car, a day before. 

11:00 Matthew: “I noticed my mother’s leg on the ground in the field. That is when I realised that she hadn’t survived.” 

11:00 Matthew: “I tried to get my hand inside the car but couldn’t. There was nobody in the car, it was blown to pieces. I saw a woman with a little girl nearby and I said call the police.” 

10:59 Matthew tells the court that he was still trying to figure out whether it was his mother’s car. But then he saw the hubcaps and the number plate and realised it was the car his mother was driving. 

10:58 Matthew: “A large part of the road was on fire and I was confused because the road was on fire and nothing else. Pieces of plastic, glass and flesh. I followed the smoke with my eye and there I saw the field with the car in it.” 

10:57 Matthew says that when he got to the main road he saw a tower of smoke rising in the distance. 

10:56 Matthew: “I saw the smoke rising in the distance and at that point I just sprinted down the lane towards the main road.” 

10:55 Matthew Caruana Galizia says he jumped out of his seat upon hearing the explosion and ran to the gate. 

10:55 Matthew: “It’s very quiet where we live so you hear almost everything. My mother drives very fast and she goes down the lane very fast.” 

10:54 Matthew says that he heard his mother start the car. “I heard the music going on and heard it driving off and just a few minutes later I heard the explosion.” 

10:53 Matthew: “I got up at around 9am my mother made coffee we were sitting at the same desk. Mother got a phone call at around 2pm from HSBC bank about an appointment about her bank accounts and the garnishee order. She left the house but returned to pick up her chequebook.” 

10:52 Matthew Caruana Galizia recounts the events that unfolded on the day his mother was blown up by a powerful car bomb  10:51 He says that he lives in Bidnija with his father. 

10:50 Matthew Caruana Galizia, son of Daphne Caruana Galizia, is testifying in English.