Two consultant psychiatrists, not appointed by the court, who examined Michael Emmanuel after his arrest have testified that he suffered from delusions, saying he saw signs in pigeon formations and other mundane objects and had heard the TV news state that the government was going to reunite him with his children.

The prosecution asked that the two doctors testifying be reminded that they are ordinary witnesses and refrain from giving opinions.

The court declared that the evidence of Dr Joseph Spiteri and Dr. Clare Axiaq and their testimony in the acts of these proceedings are being given as ordinary medical professionals who were not appointed by court, but who examined the accused at a date closer to when the alleged incident took place. The court will not be allowing any questions relating to comparisons to other mental illnesses and not even to explanations of any mental illness they may have encountered in their profession.

Earlier today, the prosecution closed its evidence, meaning it was the defence's turn to bring evidence.

Lawyer Dustin Camilleri started the defence's evidence by addressing the jurors. It is not only a jury but a technical jury, he said, asking the jurors to, before arriving at a decision, leave their prejudices behind. "You took an oath and I'm sure you will fulfil it...it is very encouraging to see the jury asking the right questions."

Today we have heard the interrogation...we will come to the interpretation. What I will say is that although he had the right to have a lawyer with him, he decided to forfeit that.

"We as persons, function in the real world. We function with rules and reality. Dr Cassar said that persons with delusions can function in the real world because these delusions are qualified. What are his delusions? Speaking to God, God speaking to him. Interpreting life with this faith. Put yourselves in the shoes of the accused and try to reason as he does, every normal thing, Is it normal? No he is delusional."

In the first instance, he kept repeating and amplifying. Why it is not easy if you are delusional.

This false reality precluded Emmanuel from reasoning properly, leading him down the road of delusion, he said. "He could function well, he worked and tried to build a future. We know what happened. The question remains - is he responsible for what happened?"

No doctor would give pills for non-illness, said the lawyer.

"Circumstantial evidence points to his state of mind. All the evidence has to be interpreted through his state of mind. That is what is important, because all of these will point to one outcome, that Michael Emmanuel is legally insane."

 "He has done nothing wrong in his head. Everything he said is in line with what others said. Make the law go hand in hand with justice."

With that, the defence summoned its first witness. Consultant psychiatrist Joseph Spiteri. He was the forensic psychiatrist who treated the accused closer to the date of the incident, but was not a court-appointed expert. Madam Justice Scerri Herrera told the jurors that they could not ask him leading questions.

He was admitted under his care on 24 September 2018, referred by prison doctor for aggressive behaviour. "The prisoner was deemed to be very dangerous and was accompanied with many prison officers.

"I found a young man who was ...he had been in a state of psychosis. He had delusions of grandeur and a psychosis . He was prescribed antipsychotic medication on a moderate dose at the beginning.

He was seen regularly by the psychiatrist and his assistant. The last time he saw him was on 19 June 2019. He said he had reached his conclusions on a number of factors, not least because Emmanuel had been telling him that he was in constant contact with God and heard God's voice clearly. He claimed that his partner had killed herself. "He said he saw things which he could interpret in a special way. He also said he spoke to his dead father who controlled his actions", which the psychiatrist said was a "Schneiderian first rank symptom," a tool used by psychiatrists to identify symptoms.

"What made me believe that he was having a psychotic episode was because his emotions were congruent with his delusional features. What he was seeing was perceived to be real."

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Clare Axiaq took the stand next.

She had examined Emmanuel on 26 September 2018 at the Foresnic Unit, where he had been referred as he had been aggressive at the prison.

She had reached the conclusion that he was psychotic as he was suspicious that his partner was taking children to places he didn't know. At the time he saw the pigeons flying in circles and that this was a sign and that detritus from drilling came out in the shape of a star. These were signals to the accused, she said.

He had heard God in Ivory coast when cutting weeds, she said, reading from her clinical notes. She had examined him later with Dr. Spiteri and he had said his partner had killed herself and that his dead father was controlling him. 
He had killed his partner by suffocating her with a cross, she wanted him to do it, he was convinced that she was receiving shocks from the cross and he could see the future, Emmanuel had told the doctors.

On October 8 he was assessed for suicidality. He was not depressed and believed that what he did was right. He believed that the government had announced on TV that he could see his children.

He was discharged to prison on 17 October. At that point he was placed on a long list of strong medication

The case continues tomorrow with both sides making their arguments to the jury.