The young man accused of the involuntary homicide of his friend in a fatal car accident which took place early on New Years’ Day can now speak to his friends after the surviving passengers all testified.

Terrence Tanti, a 22-year-old from San Ġwann, was driving the car which crashed into a wall and an electricity pole on the road leading from Nadur to Victoria at around 3:45am on January 1, taking four of his friends back home after a private party at a farmhouse.

Matthew Meilak, a 22-year-old law student, was killed in the accident. The other passengers – Miguel Camilleri, Edward Cole and Alex Scerri Herrera – all survived.

Mr Tanti, who is pleading not guilty to involuntary homicide, was granted bail on his arraignment, but was ordered not to speak to any witnesses – including the friends who were in the car with him and others who had been at the party.

One of his friends who testified today, Zachary Abela, told the court that he found it difficult not to be able to speak to his best friend for nearly seven months.

Mr Abela, who had driven Mr Meilak, Mr Camilleri and Mr Scerri Herrera to the Nadur farmhouse party, did not witness the accident and neither did he go on site afterwards: he had left before his friends did, at around 1am.

However, he had received a call from Mr Scerri Herrera, who said that he was suffering from “massive shock” and could not talk or walk unaided.

Mr Abela recounted that the accident changed the lives of the group of friends.

“We were all like brothers. I have known Terrence and Alex since primary school, I met Miguel at sixth form and I knew [Edward] Cole from scouts. I knew Matthew since the age of seven, when we played football at Luxol,” he said.

“It was an accident, and I find it difficult to understand why the police went to hospital and arrested Terrence.”

Another person who was at the party, Christopher Mercieca, also testified in today’s sitting. Mr Mercieca had left the party after Mr Tanti and his friends did, and was returning home with friends when they came across the scene of the accident.

Recounting that there was panic on the site of the accident, he said that Mr Tanti – who knew he was a first-aider – “frantically” asked him to do something while Mr Meilak lay on the ground motionless.

“There was a disaster and everyone was panicking. Terrence, Miguel and Edward were all telling me to do something to Matthew because they knew I was a first-aider, but I could immediately see that there was little hope,” he explained.

“I did what I could… all I could do was place him in the recovery position.”

Mr Mercieca said that he could not remember whether it was raining at the time, but recalled that the road was “shiny.”

He also said that one of the passengers, Mr Scerri Herrera, was on site but “vanished” all of a sudden. in his testimony during a prior sitting, Mr Scerri Herrera had said that he was in a state of shock, and that he accepted a lift from a passing car before going to hospital.

At the end of the sitting, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli agreed to change bail conditions to allow Mr Tanti to speak to friends who have already testified.

Inspector Bernard Spiteri prosecuted, while lawyer Joe Giglio appeared for Mr Tanti. The case continues in September.