Adam Cini told Magistrate Edwina Grima, compiling evidence in an attempted murder case, that he thought he had been punched, but when he touched his back he felt the handle of a knife.

Then he felt pain and a sensation of a serious burn. He said he was taken to hospital, where later he was told his lung had been pierced and he could have died during the operation. His condition was so serious there was even a priest in the operations theatre.

Cini, 24, was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Giovanni Farrugia, 49 of Valletta, who is accused of trying to kill Cini with a knife during the night of 12-13 July, near the Monaliza bar in Valletta.

Cini said he had his friends had just left the bar, it was about 2am. They were walking in the direction of the Excelsior Hotel, where their cars were parked, when the accused looked at them and told them to move on. A verbal argument broke out and they started trading insults. At one time, Cini said, he mentioned Farrugia’s father disparagingly, and Farrugia demanded an apology or, he said, he would tear Cini apart.

They came to blows and started punching each other, but the accused brandished a knife. At one time he was lying on the accused, holding him down and telling him to drop the knife. He realised he had blood on his hand and it was dripping on the face of the accused.

Cini said that moments later he saw another man, he was carrying a saw and started threatening him, telling him to release the accused. He released Farrugia when he saw that the argument was not going to end, and that his friends were not coming to his aid. This was when he felt a sharp pain in his back.

Asked why he did not leave when he saw the knife, Cini said he decided to stand his ground.

Inspector Kyle Borg and Inspector Saviour Baldacchino are prosecuting, Dr Giannella de Marco is defence counsel.