A 30-year-old stabbing victim told the court today that he has forgiven his assailant.

Kartal Samil Turkdogan from Turkey was stabbed three times during a fight with a motorist on the Gzira bus lane last May.

He was delivering his testimony and said that he would have been killed had he not known self-defence, later admitting to having been trained in martial arts since he was 15, while also training boxing.

Mr Snaima faces charges of attempted murder and denies stabbing the victim three times with a kitchen knife.  

Mr Turkdogan told the court that he was crossing the road with his children and one of his son’s girlfriends. A car whizzed past as they reached the lane closely missing him. He lifted his arms and yelled “what the ****”, he testified.

The car then came to a stop. He noted that the accused had his wife and daughter in the car with him and so he went to the passenger side window. He said that the accused first spoke in a language that he could not understand. He proceeded to call the accused arrogant and that he should simply apologise for driving in such a way on a bus lane.

Mr Snaima, the court heard, then switched to English and said “Do you want to fight because if you do I'll just get out of the car." 

Mr Turkdogan explained that Mr Snaima quickly exited the vehicle, and then re-entered and began to drive off, stopping again a few metres away. According to Mr Turkdogan, he then again exited the vehicle, ran towards him and the fight began. He said that he did not see a knife.

He told the court that he was stabbed once in the arm and twice in the back. Magistrate Micallef Trigona indicted Mr Snaima.

Police Inspector Saviour Baldacchino prosecuted. Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi appeared for the accused. Lawyers Gianluca Caruana Curran appeared and Giannella de Marco parte civile.