MATTHEW XUEREB

The trial by jury of Brian Vella, who stands charged with the murder of an elderly couple in their Santa Lucija flat in February 2000, began again yesterday, for the third time since 2004.

Mr Vella, 37, from Hamrun, is pleading not guilty to killing Gerald Grima, 79, known as Gigi, and his wife Josephine Grima, 64, known as Guza in their home on 10 February. The couple was not found before 17 February after residents complained about the smell emanating from their flat.

Mr Vella’s trial by jury had also started in 2004 and again in 2006 but on both occasions the trial had to be dissolved for technical reasons. Mr Vella is also charged with stealing more than Lm1,000 worth of jewellery and cash from the couple’s residence.

The bill of indictment claimed that early in the afternoon on 10 February, Mr Vella met a certain Dominic Bonnici and a third man at the Santa Lucija Nationalist Party club. After drinking for a while with the two men, Mr Vella urged them to help him burgle the Grimas’ residence who he knew lived alone in the same block of flats where he lived.

The first person who testified during yesterday’s sitting of the trial by jury was Police Commissioner John Rizzo who was warned by presiding judge Joseph Galea Debono to stick to the facts relating to this case.

Mr Rizzo explained that on 17 February 2000, the police had been called by neighbours who complained about a stench emanating from a flat in Santa Lucija. When the police entered the flat, they found the elderly couple dead on the floor.

The bodies of the elderly couple were found immediately behind the front door. Both victims had their hands and legs bound with brown tape. Their mouths were also covered by tape but their noses were not.

The woman was lying face up while the man was face down. He said there was a mess in the flat and also a broken chair. The elderly were both well dressed and were still wearing their jewellery.

He said police found Lm14 in cash and also several cigarette butts. He said the man and woman were in an advanced state of decomposition and the police wanted to establish when they had died. The last day that was crossed on the calendar was 9 February, while their bird was found dead in his cage.

Commissioner Rizzo said the police carried out door-to-door enquiries with neighbours. He said he continued his investigations from his office after he received confidential information with names of people who could have been involved in the case.

He said his informers first mentioned two names and then another name of a person who could have some useful information. He instructed the police to arrest the accused and bring him to the Police Depot.

Commissioner Rizzo said that the accused changed his version several times during the interrogations.

Mr Rizzo said he also examined footage from Net TV shot on 10 February during St Paul’s feast in Valletta, in which he could see the couple wearing the same clothes they were wearing when they were found dead.

In his statement, released on 19 February, the accused told police that on 10 February 2000, he stopped to buy cigarettes from the PN club in Santa Lucija. There he met a certain Dominic and they went to the former’s house. Then he watched television and later left home. He said he passed by the PN club and saw Dominic. He stopped and drank a beer with him and then he gave him a ride to a friend called Julie in Cospicua. He said he spent the night at her house.

Mr Rizzo said that in his statement, the accused confirmed that it was his fifth version of what happened that day. He insisted that the last version was the truth because before he did not want to reveal the truth. “I lied because drugs were involved,” he told the police.

When told that Dominic Bonnici had told police that he was with Mr Vella when he killed the couple, Mr Vella said this was not true and insisted that he was innocent and had not killed the elderly couple.

Under cross-examination, the Police Commissioner said that the police had made several arrests in connection with this case but they only had two suspects.

Superintendent Pierre Calleja, who at the time was a police inspector, explained that he went on site after the police had discovered the bodies of the Grimas. He explained how he was involved in the investigations, and was present when the police were given names of people who could have been involved.

Superintendent Calleja read out other statements released by Mr Vella on 1 March and on 3 May, some time before he was charged in court in connection with this case. During this interrogation, the police informed him that they had found his blood inside the couple’s flat. He continued to deny his involvement and insisted that he never went into their flat. Regarding the DNA compatibility on the cigarette butts, Mr Vella told police that he never entered their flat.

Scene of crime officer John Charles Ellul explained in detail what he observed inside the couple’s house in Santa Lucija. He also mentioned every thing the police lifted in order to test for fingerprints and traces of DNA. The jurors were also shown several photos taken by police officers during their investigations.

The trial continues today.

Senior Counsel to the Republic Anthony Barbara is prosecuting while Dr Anglu Farrugia and Dr Kris Busietta are appearing for the accused.