The brother of man charged with the murder of Brandon Pace told the court that in a state of panic he had cleaned blood off his sibling's car seat on the day of the murder.

He was testifying in the murder trial of Kurt Grech, 31, also known as "In-Nemes" together with his father Joseph Grech, 61. The pair are currently facing the charges in trial for the wilful homicide of Brandon Pace who was fatally killed in Giovanni Barbara Street, Hamrun, back in 2017.

The accused also face additional charges such as the unlawful possession of knives, breaching public peace and threatening the victim's mother Lisa Pace and also, the victim's girlfriend, Jessica Bilocca. Grech is also accused of threatening Donna Pace, the victim's sister whilst Kurt Grech also faces a separate charge of grievously injuring Bilocca with a knife.

Both plead not guilty to the charges brought against them.

Brothers testify

On Thursday, two of the brothers, Clint and Darren Grech both gave testimonies on their whereabouts and their activities at the time of the incident. They both testified how prior to the murder, they were present at the Marsa horse racing track, watching their horse during a race. After, they both took the horse back to the stable.

While at the stable, Darren stated how Clint answered a call from their mother and they realised that something was wrong. Clint said that he did not remember this phone call with his mother.

The pair returned to Pieta where they found their mother unconscious and Grech, the accused, covered in blood. Darren Grech testified how he went into the maroon Skoda parked outside the house and quickly noticed blood stains on the seat. Darren Grech said that he cleaned the car and moved the car to a location away from the house.

Magistrate orders investigation into contradictory testimonies

On Wednesday, Madam Justice Consuelo Herrera, overseeing the jury of the trial, gave orders to the police to investigate one of the key witnesses for perjury during a testimony.

The witnesses gave conflicting testimonies shortly after the murder. She warned that two others could face such charges too.

Scerri Herrera has ordered the Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà to investigate Doris Pace, who is in custody for lying under oath during her testimony during the trial.

The first witness accused of perjury, Doris Pace, who lived in the same block of apartments as the victim, explained the events she witnessed during the murder. At first, she recounted how she was inside her home watching television, after which she heard yelling and went outside on the balcony to see what was going on.

She described in detail how she witnessed Jessica Bilocca throwing tiles from Pace's balcony, with Kurt and Joseph Grech standing in the road below. She also stated that Kurt had a knife and that the victim appeared walking out of his apartment, wearing shorts, before falling to the ground. She testified how it was an "unforgettable scene", vividly recounting how Brandon was covered in blood.

The court reminded the key witness that during the initial magisterial inquiry following the incident, she had testified that she saw nothing. When questioned about this inconsistency, she claimed that at the time of her original statement, she was in shock.

In response, the judge ordered the Police Commissioner to launch an investigation for perjury and ruled that Doris Pace remain in custody until she is questioned by the police.

Two additional witnesses, Joseph Vella and Melvin Debono, known as "il-Quws", were also warned of potential perjury charges due to discrepancies in their testimonies.

During cross-examination, the defence highlighted significant contradictions in Joseph Vella's statements. 

In his latest testimony, he once again insisted that the victim was unarmed on the day of the incident.

The judge noted the serious inconsistencies and reminded Vella that he had previously claimed the victim was holding a knife and attacking the accused. When pressed to clarify, Vella responded, "I do not remember."

Given the contradictions, Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera ordered Vella to remain in custody and warned him of potential perjury charges.

Similarly, Melvin Debono faced scrutiny after claiming he "remembered nothing" during his testimony. The judge immediately reprimanded him, stating that such a claim was unacceptable.

Debono, who is known to the police, has a tall criminal record, and has been charged a number of times.

Debono's initial testimony indicated that while driving through Ħamrun on the day of the incident, he saw no altercation. However, during the inquiry, he had testified that upon arriving at the scene, he witnessed the fight and had stepped out onto the street with his girlfriend.

When confronted with the contradiction, Debono stuck to his revised statement, insisting that he had simply dropped off his girlfriend and continued driving. As a result, the judge ordered Debono to remain in custody until he is recalled to testify.

The prosecution is led by lawyers Kevin Valletta and Kaylie Bonnett from the Attorney General's office.

Lawyers Rachel Tua and Ishmael Psaila are representing the victim's family.

Lawyers Roberto Montalto, Kathleen Grima, and Edward Gatt are representing the accused.