‘I feared she would die in my arms’: Victim’s friend recounts Paceville beach stabbing

A man who witnessed the brutal stabbing of his friend on a Paceville beach testified in court on Tuesday, recalling the moment he feared she would die in his arms.

The incident, which occurred on 7 August, saw 21-year-old Colombian national Fabian Medina Paira accused of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.

Testifying under oath, the witness, referred to as "Ernesto" by the alleged victim, described the sequence of events that unfolded early that morning on the beach in St Julian’s.

He and the victim had been relaxing by the water with another couple when they noticed Medina Paira, a stranger, behaving "in a manner that was not normal," sitting nearby.

After the other couple left around 8am, Ernesto and the victim decided to go for a swim, chatting in the water. Shortly after, they saw the stranger move toward the victim’s belongings, smashing a glass bottle on the rocks. “It was strange. It didn’t make sense,” Ernesto recounted.

As the victim rushed out of the water to confront the man, the attacker pushed her and "jumped on her," according to Ernesto's testimony. Realising what had happened, Ernesto gave chase but quickly turned back when he saw his friend covered in blood. He ran to her side, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

“Her face changed colour. I feared she was dying,” he said, explaining how he pressed on a chest wound while slapping her face to keep her conscious. The victim eventually started breathing again, and Ernesto frantically called for help from a passerby. “I hope she doesn’t die in my arms,” he recalled thinking at that moment.

The victim was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. A doctor who testified said she had a one-centimetre deep laceration to her chest and a smaller superficial wound. Blood had entered her lungs, putting her life at serious risk.

The accused, Medina Paira, repeatedly interrupted the court proceedings, complaining that “no one is helping me” and that he felt in danger in jail. Despite being warned by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech to remain silent, Medina Paira continued to disrupt the hearing, leading to his temporary removal from the courtroom.

Prosecuting Inspector Shaun Pawney said the accused appeared to be intentionally trying to disrupt the trial. Despite his interruptions, the court allowed Medina Paira to return for part of the testimony but eventually ordered his removal after more outbursts.

The case, prosecuted by AG lawyer Kaylie Bonett and Inspector Pawney, continues, with legal aid counsel Mark Busuttil representing the accused.