Roderick Grech died struggling with his killer, jury hears

Roderick Grech died struggling with his killer, the jury trying Etienne Bartolo for murder has heard.

Bartolo, 39, is accused of having fatally stabbed Grech, 26, in a Birkirkara street in 2017. Last week, the jury heard how Bartolo had been involved in an argument with the victim over drug payments. The accused had told the police that he was scared of Grech.

Medico-legal expert Mario Scerri testified on Monday as the trial entered its fifth day. Showing a series of pictures he had taken to document his examination of the body, Scerri said Grech had six stab wounds, including on the back of his neck, chest, hands and leg. The accused did not look at the images, he kept his gaze lowered and straight ahead.

As a result of the fatal altercation, the accused had just a scratch.

Defence lawyer Mark Vassallo asked the expert about blood found on the driver’s seat. “There is less than there was outside”, he said. “Probably, as soon as he was stabbed, he stepped out of the car,” Scerri said.

Vassallo said that it had been established from CCTV that the man had spent 13 minutes from the time he was stabbed and when he died. The expert agreed, saying the cause of death was cardiac arrest due to loss of blood. The blood stains and injuries showed there was probably a struggle, he added.

Asked by prosecuting lawyer Maria Francesca Spiteri from the Office of the Attorney General, whether it was even possible for him to struggle given the pain, Scerri replied that there is documentation which shows that people in such situations do not generally feel pain immediately.

Professor Safraz Ali and Professor Maria Therese Camilleri Podesta testified next, presenting the jury with a copy of their report on the autopsy, which they had carried out jointly.

“He died of hypovolemic shock due to a stab wound in the chest. The blood pressure drops due to lack of blood and death ensues. The blood loss was due to the wounds to his chest,” Camilleri Podesta said. There were three wounds close to each other which contributed to death. The other wounds were of little consequence, she explained.

DNA expert Dr. Marisa Cassar said blood on the passenger seat matched Roderick Grech. DNA traces were also found on the passenger door, she confirmed. Asked by a juror, she confirmed that there was no DNA belonging to the accused inside the car.

Forensic scientist Roderick Sammut testified next. He had examined a white substance found at the scene, finding it to consist of low-purity crack cocaine. It was a single dose, he said. “Once you smoke crack it is more powerful and quicker acting.” Spiteri asked whether it was normal for a person to sell drugs with just one sachet on his person. The witness could not confirm this, however.

The jury continues tomorrow.

Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera is presiding the trial. Lawyers Kevin Valletta and Maria Francesca Spiteri from the Office of the Attorney General are prosecuting.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo are defence counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia are appearing parte civile for the victim's family.