At previous sittings, police officials mentioned that two men had been approached by the accused to help him kill someone. Yesterday, the court heard this straight from the horse’s mouth when Mr Caruana took the stand.

The man said that he had known Josef Grech for years and although he had lost contact with him, had met him in the street and given him his mobile phone number. During their brief meeting, Grech had told Mr Caruana he had a job that would make him some money.

Following this, Grech proceeded to phone Mr Caruana several times to ask him whether he was interested in the job but he always refused to tell him what it was related to.

On the morning of 13 February, Mr Caruana said the accused phoned him about five times, pressing him for an answer about this job. The situation was brought to a head when Grech approached the witness at his father’s bakery at about 5pm that same day. The accused only answered queries about the job during this meeting, said Mr Caruana. “He said ‘there is someone we must eliminate’,” continued the witness, and on hearing this, he told him he was crazy.

When Grech heard he had no intention of helping to kill anyone, Mr Caruana said he got angry, swore and left. The witness said that, before leaving, Grech had threatened to hurt his mother if he told anyone what he had offered him. When he heard that a woman had been killed, the day after this incident, Mr Caruana said he began to wonder whether this was the person Grech had wanted him to kill. Upon questioning by prosecuting inspector Chris Pullicino, Mr Caruana said he had not even asked how much money Grech was offering.

In their testimonies at earlier hearings, police officials also mentioned that a man named Charles Vella, known as il-Gagu, had been offered Lm10,000 to help kill someone. Jason Dalli and Glen Borg testified yesterday and said that they were present when Josef Grech approached Vella.

Mr Dalli, a driver from San Gwann, said that sometime around Christmas last year he was having a drink at the San Gwann bocci club with the accused, Charles Vella and Glen Borg when Grech pulled Vella aside to speak to him. That day he heard nothing, Mr Dalli said, but a few days later Vella told him “your friend, Grech, is crazy. He offered me Lm10,000 to get rid of someone”. The witness said he had known Grech for quite a long time before this incident because he also worked as a driver like him.

The other witness at yesterday’s sitting, Glen Borg, confirmed that he also was at the bocci club the day the accused approached Charles Vella. He said that day he had not known Josef Grech but later positively identified him from police photos.

Mr Borg said he could not believe his ears when he heard Grech offer Vella Lm10,000 to eliminate a woman. As Grech left the club, Mr Borg said Vella asked him if he had heard what was on offer. Mr Borg said Vella told him, “He just offered me Lm10,000 to kill a woman”.

The witness told Vella “you should not do it even if you were offered Lm100,000”, and he claimed Vella said he would not be involved in the murder.

None of the witnesses brought to the stand yesterday had ever heard the name of Patricia Attard mentioned. They simply heard that Grech was offering money for help with “getting rid of someone”.

The case continues later this month when more witnesses are called to testify and more evidence will be brought forward.

The court was presided over by Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima.

Inspectors Chris Pullicino and Carmelo Bartolo prosecuted, Dr Manwel Mallia and Dr Gianella Caruana Curran appeared for the accused while Dr Joseph Giglio appeared in Parte Civile.