17:14 The prosecution returns to the earlier incident involving a migrant riding a bicycle, questioning Scicluna about his actions and those of Jason Green and Francesco Formosa.
Scicluna insists that he had not stopped his vehicle with the intention of confronting or fighting the cyclist, claiming that Green was the one who wanted to approach him.
"I didn't get out to fight him. I was the driver, and I stopped the car on the side of the road," he tells jurors.
Prosecutor Darlene Grima challenges his account, suggesting that the cyclist had attempted to escape from the group before they stopped and approached him. Scicluna maintains that they only got out of the vehicle after the man put down his bicycle and began throwing stones towards them.
"We got out to tell him to stop throwing stones at us," he explains.
He also confirms that he never mentioned Jason Green's involvement when questioned by police, claiming that Green had nothing to do with the shootings for which he was being investigated.
Asked whether he regrets his actions during the bicycle incident, Scicluna acknowledges that his behaviour was wrong but maintains that nobody was harmed.
"I feel bad about what happened that day, but nothing happened," he says.
The accused also explains that shortly before the incident, his vehicle's original number plates had been stolen. He says he had obtained replacement plates but had not yet fitted them, instead displaying them inside the front windscreen and rear window.
17:10 During cross-examination, prosecutor Darlene Grima questions Scicluna about his experience handling firearms and his familiarity with the area where the shootings took place.
Scicluna confirms that he obtained his firearms licence in October 2018, although he explains that purchasing a firearm was a lengthy process and that he initially owned an airgun.
Grima refers to his previous statement, in which he said he would sometimes take as many as 200 rounds of ammunition to the shooting range.
The accused confirms this, also agreeing with the prosecution's suggestion that he was experienced in loading and handling firearms under stressful conditions. Questioned about shooting techniques, Scicluna confirms that the front and rear sights of a firearm must be properly aligned when aiming, explaining that this was how he had been trained.
He adds that he would ordinarily remain stationary when firing, although some individuals were trained to shoot while moving.
"Personally, if someone moved or pushed me, I would lose my focus," he tells jurors.
Grima then questions him about spent cartridge casings, with Scicluna confirming that they are ejected from a firearm when shots are fired.
He explains that at shooting ranges, the casings would generally fall close together and were collected in buckets positioned to the right of the shooter. He adds that the casings were extremely hot immediately after being discharged.
The prosecution subsequently turns to Scicluna's familiarity with the road where the shooting occurred, referring to his previous statement in which he described it as 'Sqaq tas-Suwed', meaning "the road of the black people".
Scicluna confirms that he knew the road by that name.
Asked whether the migrants who frequented the area had ever caused him any problems, Scicluna admits that they had not.
"No, no, I had no problems with them," he says.
He acknowledges that he and his companions would deliberately drive through the area to harass migrants. "We used to pass from there to pick on them," he tells the court.
16:57 The judge enters the courtroom along with the jurors for cross-examination by AG lawyer Darlene Grima to begin.
16:52 Defence lawyer Kris Busietta concludes his questioning by asking Scicluna why he had disposed of the car's mirror casing following the shootings.
"I was scared I was going to get blamed. I saw everything Francesco did. Three people were shot from my car with my weapon," Scicluna tells jurors.
"My life was never the same after this incident. I was then arrested," he says.
With the defence having no further questions for the accused, the court briefly adjourns proceedings.
16:50 Lorin Scicluna tells jurors that he and Francesco Fenech continued meeting in the days following the shooting to discuss how they would deal with the situation.
He claims Fenech suggested that he dispose of the firearm, ammunition and Starlet used during the incident.
Scicluna admits that he subsequently made several alterations to his vehicle, including replacing one of its doors and changing other parts.
"I modified my car a bit. I changed the door and some other things," he says. He also recalls disposing of the mirror casing but insists that he was reluctant to get rid of his firearm.
"I didn't want to throw away the gun," he tells jurors.
The accused then recounts another incident involving Fenech, during which the latter accidentally filled his vehicle with diesel instead of petrol.
He explains that they subsequently took the car to a garage belonging to Dylan German, Fenech's cousin, with whom Scicluna says he developed a friendship.
Scicluna recalls that German later advised him to dispose of both his vehicle and firearm. "He told me it would be better to get rid of the car and the gun," he says.
According to Scicluna, this conversation led him to believe that Fenech had already disclosed details of the shooting to his cousin.
"I realised that Francesco had told Dylan what had happened," he tells the court.
16:43 Lorin Scicluna tells jurors that he has little recollection of the journey following the shootings, remembering only that he eventually arrived in Paola and went to his garage with Fenech.
"I don't remember how I got there. I just remember arriving in Paola," he says.
He explains that the pair retrieved their mobile phones before Fenech left in his Volkswagen.
Scicluna admits that he did not tell anyone about what had happened that night, including his then-girlfriend.
"I told no one what happened, not even my girlfriend," he tells the court.
He recalls subsequently contacting Fenech by phone and arranging to meet him in Fgura, where they learned through news reports that the victim had been found.
Scicluna insists that although he and Fenech had previously harassed migrants, he had never intended for anyone to be seriously harmed.
"It's true we used to pick on them, but I never wanted to hurt them in this way," he says. The accused breaks down in tears as he recalls confronting Fenech over Lassane's death.
"I told him he died because you (Fenech) shot him, and because he crouched down in fright at the sound," Scicluna says through tears.
He tells jurors that he feared being implicated in the killing because the shootings had been carried out using his firearm and vehicle.
"I'm not getting out of this. We did this with my gun and my car," he recalls telling Fenech.
Scicluna says the two continued arguing over what had happened that night.
16:38 Scicluna continues his testimony, claiming that Francesco Fenech fired twice at the first migrant they encountered, with the second shot striking him.
"When he fired the first shot, he missed. I saw the man crouch down in fright at the sound of the gunshot. The second shot hit him," he tells jurors.
He recalls immediately shouting at Fenech in disbelief, repeatedly asking him what he had done.
"Are you serious? Are you serious?" he recalls screaming, adding that he began hitting Fenech while demanding an explanation for his actions.
According to Scicluna, Fenech responded by threatening to shoot him too. "He told me, 'Stop it, because I'll shoot you as well,'" the accused claims.
Scicluna says he immediately accelerated, driving away from the scene at high speed in an attempt to escape the area. "I wanted to get off that road," he tells the court.
However, he claims that as they continued driving, Fenech spotted two other migrants walking along the road and suddenly opened fire again. "I hadn't even seen them," Scicluna says, explaining that he attempted to physically restrain Fenech and stop him from shooting.
He claims Fenech had leaned almost his entire upper body out of the passenger-side window while firing at the two men.
Scicluna recalls that Fenech fired two shots while their vehicle was approaching the pedestrians, followed by another two after they had driven past them.
He tells jurors that he believes at least one of the men was struck, recalling that he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw them on the ground.
"One was definitely shot. I looked in the mirror and saw them on the floor," he says.
"It was supposed to be a cat. It ended up being three people," Scicluna tells the court.
He insists that the firearm remained in Fenech's possession throughout the incident and that he repeatedly demanded that Fenech unload the weapon.
Scicluna says an argument broke out between them, during which he confronted Fenech over the shootings.
"I told him they had done nothing to him. He had no reason to do this," he recalls.
He claims Fenech began fighting back as the confrontation between the two escalated.
his voice continues being very shaky, he cries a little as he speaks
16:28 Lorin Scicluna then turns to the events of 6 April 2019, the night Lassane Cisse was murdered, telling jurors that he had been working at a pastizzi shop when Francesco Fenech contacted him following an argument with his father.
He explains that the two spoke at length over the phone about the disagreement, before Scicluna suggested that Fenech meet him at the shop. Fenech then arrived in his Volkswagen.
Scicluna recalls that his then-girlfriend had plans to go out with friends that evening, while Fenech suggested that the pair go out shooting cats.
"We knew it was wrong. Today I feel bad, but at the time we were stupid," he tells the court.
He says he finished work shortly before 10pm, closed the shop and drove home, with Fenech following in a separate vehicle.
Scicluna claims he had already warned Fenech that he did not want to stay out for long, as he intended to meet his girlfriend later that evening.
He explains that Fenech initially intended to use his own vehicle, but suggested taking Scicluna's white Toyota Starlet instead because its number plates were easier to remove.
Once home, Scicluna says he retrieved his pistol and two magazines, each containing 15 rounds of ammunition.
"The pistol was empty, but the magazines were full," he tells jurors.
He explains that the firearm and ammunition were placed inside a case on the floor near the front passenger seat, where Fenech was sitting.
The pair then drove to Scicluna's garage, where they removed the Toyota's number plates before heading towards Ħal Far. He also recalls that they switched off their mobile phones, explaining that they feared police involvement because they were carrying a firearm.
Scicluna says they would go shooting near Marsaskala in the area known as iż-Żonqor, but on this occasion Fenech suggested going to Ħal Far instead.
He recalls driving uphill towards the area, during which Fenech opened the firearm case and loaded the pistol with ammunition. The pair continued driving near the Ħal Far barracks but found no cats, prompting them to proceed further into the area, towards a villa and surrounding fields where Scicluna says cats could usually be found.
According to the accused, Fenech instructed him to continue driving towards Triq tal-Ġebel.
Scicluna recalls reminding Fenech that he would soon have to leave, as he had other plans that evening.
However, as they continued driving, they came across a migrant walking from the direction of Birżebbuġa.
His voice begins to break as he recounts what happened next.
"Francesco told me, 'Look, there's an immigrant,'" he tells jurors. Scicluna says he was conscious of the possibility that Fenech might grab the steering wheel, as he allegedly had done during the earlier incident in February, but insists he had no idea what was about to happen.
He recalls that Fenech was holding the pistol when, without warning, he suddenly leaned across him.
"All of a sudden, in a split second, he leaned over me, one hand on the door and the other holding the gun out of the window," Scicluna recounts.
"He shot him," the accused tells jurors, alleging that Fenech fired at the migrant from the passenger seat.
16:18 Lorin Scicluna goes on to recount an incident on 1 February 2019, during which he claims Francesco Fenech grabbed the steering wheel of his car and deliberately ran over a migrant walking towards Ħal Far from Birżebbuġa.
He tells jurors that he was driving at the time when Fenech took the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to strike the pedestrian and shatter its windscreen.
"I panicked. I was scared," he says, explaining that they immediately drove away from the scene and returned to the garage, where they parked the damaged Toyota Starlet.
Scicluna insists that he had no prior knowledge of Fenech's intentions. "I wouldn't have let him take the steering wheel if I knew he was going to do that," he tells the court.
He claims that he subsequently returned to the area in his mother's car to check on the pedestrian's condition. However, he says the man was no longer there, and no ambulance was present, leading him to assume that the pedestrian had not been seriously injured. He admits that he never contacted emergency services.
The accused tells jurors that he confronted Fenech following the incident, telling him that what he had done was unacceptable.
"You're not someone who does something like that," he recalls telling Fenech, adding that he warned him they would no longer be going on such outings in his car. Despite this, Scicluna admits that the pair returned to the Ħal Far area on three further occasions after 1 February, although he claims he no longer trusted Fenech.
He explains that Fenech did not have many friends and that he was reluctant to cut ties with him completely. He also says he feared his parents discovering what had happened.
As his voice begins to tremble, Scicluna insists that he never intended to harm migrants, despite saying that the group had deliberately provoked them.
"I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of being right," he says, before acknowledging, "Even though they were right."
He tells jurors that Fenech disliked immigrants, but maintains that he had never expressed any intention to seriously injure or kill anyone.
"We were stupid doing what we did, but Francesco never told me he wanted to run them over or kill them," he says, his voice continuing to break as he gives evidence.
16:04 The accused goes on to recount an incident involving himself, Jason Green and Francesco Fenech, during which they harassed a migrant riding a bicycle.
He tells jurors that he was driving his white Toyota Starlet, with Green seated in the front passenger seat, when they came across the cyclist and began provoking him.
According to Scicluna, the man became increasingly agitated and began pedalling faster, attempting to chase after their vehicle. He says they eventually pulled over, at which point the cyclist put down his bicycle, picked up a stone and began throwing stones towards them.
Scicluna claims that Green then threw the bicycle aside before the group got back into the car and drove away.
Following that incident, Scicluna says he and his companions began meeting at his garage after work on weekdays before driving to Ħal Far with the intention of provoking migrants.
He admits that they would deliberately seek out a migrant to "pick on", explaining that their intention was to provoke a reaction and "see him get angry."
16: 01 Questioned by the defence about his initial statement to police, the accused admits that he had fabricated his account because he was afraid to reveal what had happened with Francesco Fenech.
"I had invented it. I was afraid to explain what really happened," he tells jurors.
Recounting the day of his arrest, he explains that police first escorted him to where his car was parked and asked him to hand over the keys. Officers then took him to his home, a garage and the police lock-up, before transferring him to the police headquarters, where he gave his first statement.
He claims that investigators did not believe his initial account, adding that he lacked the courage to disclose what he alleges Fenech had done.
"I didn't have the courage to say what Francesco Fenech did," he says.
The accused tells jurors that he knew Fenech had fired the shots and that this had weighed on his conscience.
"It was Fenech who shot," he maintains.
He explains that when he was questioned the following day again, he admitted to investigators that his first statement had been fabricated. He says his conscience had compelled him to reveal what he claims Fenech had done, prompting him to change his account during his second statement at police headquarters.
15:52 The accused tells jurors that he made several new friends after joining the Armed Forces of Malta's recruitment programme in 2018, including Francesco Fenech, whom he met during his training.
He recalls losing his best friend around that time, describing the loss as particularly difficult. He says he subsequently grew closer to Fenech, whom he considered a good friend and who shared his interest in firearms.
He explains that he began his military training on 13 October 2018 and remained in the recruitment programme for approximately six months. On 28 March 2019, he took up a role as a military mechanic, which he continued until his arrest on 17 May 2019.
The accused adds that during the summer months, his military duties would sometimes continue until 7:30pm. He also worked part-time at a pastizzi shop on weekends.
The accused goes on to speak about his longstanding friendship with Jason Green, whom he says he had known for several years. He explains that the two would frequently go hunting together in Siġġiewi or Pembroke, adding that they began meeting more regularly after he obtained his driving licence.
He admits that they had also killed cats together, telling jurors, "That was a mistake."
He says Francesco Fenech would occasionally accompany them on these outings, which took place in various locations across Malta and would often end with the group going out for dinner.
15:36 The prosecution formally closes its case , having concluded the presentation of its evidence.
The defence subsequently confirms that the accused will take the witness stand to testify in his own defence.
15:41 The accused takes the witness stand and is sworn in before beginning his testimony
He tells the court that he is now 29 years old and was around 21 or 22 at the time of the incident. He says he currently lives with his parents and sibling in Raħal Ġdid, where he was also residing at the time.
He explains that he had been in a relationship for approximately two years and would frequently spend the night at his girlfriend's home.
Speaking calmly, the accused tells jurors that he served as a director of arms and training within the Armed Forces of Malta, while also carrying out work involving vehicles.
He confirms that he held the necessary licences for the firearms he kept at home, adding that he stored them beneath his bed.