Chest drain may have saved Tanti's life after fall - medical experts

Erin Tanti is accused of inciting the suicide of a teenage girl in March of last year

A court has been told how Erin Tanti, the drama teacher accused of inciting a teenage girl to commit suicide last year, had himself narrowly escaped death in the fall that led to the girl's death.

Cardio-thoracic surgeon Peter Paul Vassallo and anaesthetist Noel Borg told Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that Tanti had suffered several broken ribs, which resulted in a collapsed right lung.

A chest drain inserted into his thorax, allowing his lung to re-inflate, may have saved his life, said the medical experts, who also confirmed that the injuries sustained by Tanti were consistent with fall from a height. 

The evidence was tendered in proceedings against Tanti, who is pleading not guilty to charges that include the murder of fifteen year-old Lisa Marie Zahra and assisting her suicide on 19 March last year.

Vassallo said he had examined Tanti in the ITU. A CT scan had revealed multiple rib fractures and a perforated right lung. 

During cross-examination, the surgeon said Tanti’s injuries were compatible to blunt force trauma. This was consistent with the information he had received from the paramedics, who informed him that the patient had suffered a fall from a height. 

Borg testified that he had examined Tanti soon after he was admitted to hospital and had ordered that he be admitted to the ITU. Tests revealed traces of aspirin and Tanti had confirmed swallowing a number of pills. Tanti also had sustained spinal injuries and a contusion to his liver, added the consultant. 

Borg recalled that Tanti was coherent. “He knew where he was, knew what had happened and had told me that he had ingested a number of pills. He did not know precisely how many". 

The case continues on 30 April. 

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud prosecuted. Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha defended Tanti while lawyers Joe Giglio, Steve Tonna Lowell and Gianluca Caruana Curran are appearing in parte civile for the Zahras.