The next-door neighbour of a woman who was murdered in her home in Xewkija in February 2004 yesterday told jurors that on the night in question, she had seen two men running down the street.

Testifying in court, Bernardette Grima, who lives in the house next door to Ms Cauchi’s, explained that on the night that her next-door neighbour died, she had just got home when he heard a noise of a front door being banged shut. She said this was followed by footsteps and when she looked out of the bedroom window, which is covered by a bamboo curtain, she saw two people running down the road towards Mgarr ix-Xini.

When asked, Ms Grima said that in their hands the two men had white plastic bags. “Then I went to sleep and the following morning I went to work; I had no idea what had happened till 5pm when I was told that Lisa had been murdered,” she said.

Under cross-examination, Ms Grima said that it was very dark that evening because the street lamp affixed to Ms Cauchi’s house was not working. But although saying that it was dark, she somehow noticed that one of them had some white hair. She also said that the men were not wearing any masks.

Ms Grima was testifying during the third day of the trial by jury of 25-year-old Ivan Cauchi who is pleading not guilty to charges of killing his 57-year-old aunt on 24 February 2004 at her house in Xewkija.

In previous sittings, it emerged that when he was being interrogated by police, Mr Cauchi released three conflicting statements. In the first one he said he was with two people, in the second that he was accompanied by another two different people and in the last one he said he was alone.

During yesterday’s sitting, the prosecution called a number of witnesses, including Angela Cauchi and Carmelo Cauchi – the accused’s parents – who both took advantage of their legal right not to testify in the criminal case against their son.

Mario Cauchi, the accused’s brother, refused to take advantage of this right not to testify and insisted he wanted to testify. He explained that on the day he was at work when his cousin Frankie called to ask if he had seen aunt Lisa, so he left work and went to her house. He said he met his cousin outside and they broke into the house and found her dead on the ground. “I ran out because I did not like the scene,” he said.

Taking the witness stand, Frankie Cauchi, who is Ms Cauchi’s nephew, confirmed that said they had not seen her for some time so he and some other relatives broke into the house to see where she was.

A number of psychiatrists also took the witness stand during yesterday’s sitting. Psychiatrist Joseph Spiteri testified that he had examined Mr Cauchi because he was depressed. He said he was admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital and began treatment. “He was vulnerable, timid and depressed, but he was not insane. He is still my patient and he is still receiving treatment to control his depression,” he said.

Another consultant psychiatrist, David Cassar, told jurors that he had examined Mr Cauchi following a request by his relatives. He was suffering from severe anxiety so that he could not even get out of bed, he said.

Consultant psychiatrist Joseph Vella Baldacchino said he examined Ivan Cauchi and declared him fit to stand trial.

Marie-Gwann Xuereb said she was Ms Cauchi’s friend and lives four doors away from her. She was the last person to see her before she was murdered. She said that on the day of the murder, they went walking together and then went to her house for tea and a chat before going back home and only found out she was murdered late in the afternoon the following day.

Michelle Azzopardi, Ms Cauchi’s niece, said her aunt was a generous and kind-hearted woman and used to spend a lot of time with her, helping her at her supermarket. She said that after Ms Cauchi’s father died, her aunt’s brothers and sisters – except for her father – did not speak to her aunt anymore because of problems related to inheritance.

At the end of yesterday’s sitting, the prosecution declared that it was resting its case. The court case continues today when Mr Cauchi is expected to decide whether he wants to testify in his defence.

The law gives someone accused of a crime the right to choose whether to testify or not.

Senior Counsel to the Republic Anthony Barbara is prosecuting while Dr Joseph Mifsud is appearing for Mr Cauchi.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono is presiding over the trial by jury.