Two emergency doctors told jurors on Tuesday how they fought to save 23-year-old Isaac Kwabena Kyere after finding him in cardiac arrest and suffering from multiple stab wounds in Marsa in June 2021.
Their testimony came on the second day of the trial by jury of Amo Frank Kwaku, a 30-year-old Ghanaian national, who stands accused of stabbing Kyere to death following an argument.
Kwaku is charged with wilful homicide, unlawful detention accompanied by bodily harm, carrying a weapon while committing a crime against a person, and disobeying police orders while allegedly attempting to evade arrest. Kyere was stabbed at least 18 times, including four wounds to his chest and abdomen, several of which proved fatal.
The first doctor to testify, Micheal Spiteri, told the court he was dispatched to Marsa as part of the hospital's emergency response team following reports of a critically injured person suffering from multiple stab wounds. Police officers were already at the scene when the medical team arrived.
The doctor described finding Kyere covered in blood and suffering from numerous stab wounds. He was already in cardiac arrest and the medical team immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Doctors carried out a series of emergency interventions in an attempt to restart his heart.
Kyere was intubated to secure his airway, while procedures were also performed to address blood or air accumulating around his lungs. Because of the extensive blood loss, Kyere was also given blood at the scene.
The doctor identified two wounds as particularly serious: one to the left side of Kyere's chest and another to his abdomen. "The chest wound was particularly concerning because of its depth", the doctor testified.
Kyere was eventually transferred to Mater Dei Hospital, where efforts to resuscitate him continued. Despite the medical team's attempts, he died shortly after arriving in the emergency department.
A second emergency doctor, Jonathan Joslin, who was also on call that night also testified. He recalled receiving a "code red trauma" call concerning a stabbing in Marsa.
Initial information indicated that the victim was breathing erratically and was in a critical condition. He said Kyere was found near the bridge in Marsa Road in traumatic cardiac arrest. "He was unresponsive and had no pulse", he recalled.
Joslin testified that the medical team performed chest compressions, intubated him and treated severe complications arising from his chest injuries. He confirmed that Kyere was also given blood.
The doctor said Kyere remained in asystole, meaning there was no cardiac activity, throughout the attempts to resuscitate him. Despite the interventions carried out both at the scene and in hospital, doctors never managed to restore a pulse. He similarly identified wounds to the left side of Kyere's chest and abdomen as among the most serious and also referred to injuries consistent with defensive wounds.
Under cross-examination, both doctors agreed that Kyere was heavily built. Asked about the medical significance of his physique, they said a person's build had no bearing from a medical perspective.
Questions were also raised about visibility at the scene, which was described as a relatively secluded area with poor lighting. The doctors explained that emergency responders routinely use torches when treating patients in dark conditions.
Argument over whiskey bottle
The bill of indictment alleges that during the night between 10 and 11 June 2021, Kwaku and Kyere were at a friend's home in Marsa when an argument broke out. Prosecutors say Kwaku left the residence first, with Kyere following shortly afterwards. The two allegedly encountered each other again near the pedestrian bridge in the Racecourse Street area, where Kwaku allegedly attacked Kyere with a knife.
During the compilation of evidence, witnesses testified that the argument had begun over a bottle of whiskey before spilling onto the street. One witness said Kyere had at one point picked up a kitchen knife as though threatening Kwaku, while another described seeing the two men fighting outside before Kyere collapsed.
Kwaku was tracked down several hours later at a property in Azzopardi Road. Evidence presented during earlier proceedings indicated that he attempted to escape across rooftops before being arrested.
Police also recovered a knife, believed to be the murder weapon, beneath a nearby tree.
Inspector Kurt Zahra testified at Kwaku's arraignment that Kwaku admitted killing Kyere when he was apprehended and later repeated the admission during questioning at police headquarters.
Inspector Wayne Camilleri also testified that when Kwaku was informed that Kyere had died, he appeared shocked and allegedly said words to the effect that he had killed him. According to the inspector, Kwaku appeared to have believed Kyere had been seriously injured rather than killed. Despite this, Kwaku has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In March 2025, Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera rejected Kwaku's request to have two statements he gave police declared inadmissible. Kwaku had argued that he had not been afforded all his rights when the statements were taken and sought to prevent them from being admitted as evidence at trial.
The court, however, found that police had informed him of his legal rights, including his right to a lawyer, and had asked whether he understood English or required an interpreter. He was also informed that his statements would be recorded. Kwaku chose to answer investigators' questions and indicated that he understood English.
The Attorney General is seeking life imprisonment on the wilful homicide charge, up to six years' imprisonment on the unlawful detention charge and up to four years on the weapons charge.
On the disobeying police and fleeing charge, the Attorney General is seeking up to two months' detention.
The prosecution is being led by Attorney General lawyers Kaylie Bonett and Michael Muscat, together with Inspector Wayne Camilleri. Legal aid lawyer Josette Sultana is appearing for Kwaku.
Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera is presiding over the trial by jury.