Malta Independent
Friday, August 31, 2012
Magistrate Anthony Vella heard the victim of a knife attack say that he had punched the accused who retaliated by knifing him twice. The fight occurred in Marsa on 27 July at about 6pm.
Mohammed Haji Abdilwahid, of Somalia, said fellow Somali Abdulnasir Mohammed Abdullahi, 23, who has no fixed address in Malta, had had an argument with him three days earlier.
The accused is charged with the attempted murder of Mr Abdilwahid who said that when the first argument occurred he was having a beer in Marsa when the accused went up to him and threw away his beer. Three days later, Mr Abdullahi went near him and started complaining loudly that Mr Abdilwahid had thrown away his beer.
Mr Abdilwahid said he could not understand this, because it was Mr Abdullahi who had thrown away his drink. He said he lost his head and punched Mr Abdullahi. Shortly afterwards Mr Abdullahi drew a knife out of his pocket and slashed him in the hand.
Mr Abdilwahid said he tried to take away the knife, and that was why he had not run away from the scene, to try to defend himself. He told legal aid defence lawyer Cedrid Mifsud, who asked, that had he tried to run away, he could have been knifed in the back. Instead, he ended being knifed in the stomach.
The knifing happened in the garden situated behind the police station in Marsa. After knifing him, Mr Abdullahi ran away. Mr Abdilwahid was for some time in danger of dying and, he said, it was only thanks to the doctors at Mater Dei Hospital that he lived.
Magistrate Vella noted that from pictures taken by cameras in the area where the fight occurred, Mr Abdilwahid appeared to be holding something in his hand during the attack, but the object was not clear enough to be identified. Asked by the magistrate what the object was, Mr Abdilwahid said he had nothing in his hand.
The prosecution is being led by Inspector Carlos Cordina and Inspector Kevin Farrugia.