The double murder trial of a man accused of killing a woman and her baby, is drawing to a close and a verdict is expected today.
Alfred Azzopardi, 47, of Zejtun, is pleading not guilty to the murder of 22-year-old Vanessa Grech and her 17-month-old daughter Ailey. The victims were both stabbed to death on 12 November 2001 and found hidden in a well in the yard of a Birzebbuga flat two days later.
Yesterday, the jurors listened to prosecuting officer Dr Mark Said demand them to return a unanimous guilty verdict on all four charges. Mr Azzopardi stands accused of the murder of Ms Grech and her baby, hiding both bodies and being in possession of a penknife while committing the crimes.
Dr Said said that in his statement to police the day after the bodies were found, Mr Azzopardi had admitted to all the crimes and gave details the police still had no idea of.
On Tuesday however, the accused took the stand and claimed a black cloud had come over him, after Ms Grech had hit him while waving the pen knife and he did not remember what had happened.
“The evidence and the facts presented over the course of this trial, isolate the accused from the version he gave yesterday,” said Dr Said. He explained that although the murder was not premeditated, the intent to kill was evident.
“The defence is claiming the accused was in an agitated state of mind when killing Vanessa and baby Ailey. Yet, his behaviour following the murder tells a different story,” said the prosecutor.
“If he had been in this agitated state of mind and still covered his tracks, shows that this person cannot be part of civilised society,” said Dr Said, claiming that this would also constitute a mockery of the law.
The prosecution called on the jury to return a unanimous guilty verdict on all four charges, since there is no reasonable doubt of Mr Azzopardi’s guilt.
In his rebuttal, defence attorney Dr Malcolm Mifsud explained that his client was not denying either of the murders, but was claiming they were committed while in an agitated state of mind.
The verdict is expected today as presiding judge Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono rounds up the summing up of the case and sends the jury to deliberate.