‘I love you mum’ – Hamrun stabbing victim Brandon Pace’s last words to his mother

The mother of Brandon Pace, 21, who was stabbed to death last April, gave a court a tearful account of her son’s final moments as she took the witness stand to testify against the men accused of his murder.

Lisa Pace took the stand in the compilation of evidence against 23-year-old Kurt Grech, known as ‘in-Nemes’, and his father Joseph, 53. The men, both from Pieta, are accused of the murder of Pace, known as ‘ta’ Galalli’, on 2 April in Triq Giovanni Barbara, Hamrun.

On his last day of life, Pace said, her son had opened up to her for the first time speaking about “personal things.” She had needed to visit his brother and when she had returned home, she had seen Brandon in the balcony with Jessica Bilocca’s son. Jessica Bilocca had been in a relationship with Brandon Pace and had a son from the accused, Kurt Grech.

Lisa Pace had been in her kitchen in the flat, which the victim and Bilocca shared, when she overheard Bilocca talking to Grech’s parents on her mobile phone and hearing her insulting and arguing with them.

Bilocca then told her that “in-Nemes’s people had arrived”.

The witness had confirmed this after going out on the balcony and seeing the two accused outside the common area of the apartment building.  She also recalls seeing their two cars – a Skoda and a Peugeot.

“At the time I didn’t tell Brandon because he was having a shower,” said Pace. “I went inside and told Jessica not to tell Brandon.” Then she heard someone smash the door to the common area open and had gone downstairs to see what has going on.

“I saw Brandon leaving the apartment with a knife in his hand. Kurt and Brandon started chasing each other. Brandon slipped on a tile in the middle of the road and Kurt climbed on top of him and stabbed him twice in his side.”

The mother said she had picked up a squeezer mop and used it to hit Kurt Grech in an attempt to get him off her son.  At that point the victim’s sister Donna arrived on the scene and helped get Brandon on his feet and move him towards the apartment. “Immediately, Kurt’s father came and stabbed him twice in the back.”

Brandon Pace’s last words were “Mum, I love you,” she said.

“Then I turned to Kurt’s father and said ‘you’ve killed him!’ and he replied by saying ‘let him die.’”

The case is still ongoing.

Police inspectors Keith Arnaud and Elliott Magro are prosecuting, whilst lawyer Roberto Montalto is defence counsel to the two accused men. Lawyer Noel Bianco is appearing on behalf of the victim’s family.