Trial by jury begins in Marsalforn murder case

A jury trial is set to begin on Monday in connection with the murder of Fawez Najem, nearly four years after the fatal incident in Marsalforn.

The accused, Maher Aljasem, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident and is now 28, stands charged with the murder of Fawez Najem during a violent confrontation at a residence in Marsalforn in May 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to evidence presented during earlier court proceedings, Najem sustained a fatal stab wound to the chest, which pierced the heart. The court had heard how he was placed in a car and rushed to hospital, but he bled to death on the way.

During the compilation of evidence, witnesses described how tensions escalated shortly before the incident. Testimony indicated that Najem had gone to the residence where the accused was present and knocked on the door. It was alleged in court that he told those inside that he intended to slash the accused, moments before the situation turned violent.

Throughout the trial, the jury will hear testimony from several witnesses, as well as medical and forensic experts, in order to establish the sequence of events that led to the fatal stabbing.

The proceedings are expected to focus on the circumstances surrounding the altercation, including the events leading up to the incident, the actions of the accused, and whether these amounted to lawful self-defence or criminal responsibility.

The jury will ultimately be tasked with delivering a verdict on the charges brought against Aljasem following the conclusion of the trial.

Judge addresses jury

Presiding judge Neville Camilleri opened proceedings by addressing the jury, outlining both the structure of the courtroom and the fundamental principles of criminal law. He explained the roles of the different parties, indicating where the prosecution, defence lawyers and the accused are seated, and clarified that the prosecution is led by lawyers from the Attorney General’s office.

The judge went on to explain key legal principles, including the presumption of innocence, stressing that the accused must be considered innocent unless proven guilty. He explained that it is the role of the prosecution to bring forward the charges and present evidence against the accused, while the defence is tasked with contesting those accusations.

The jury was also told that the defence is always granted the final word in proceedings. Concluding his address,  he assured the jurors that all aspects of the process will be explained as the trial moves on. He added that, after hearing all the evidence, it will ultimately be their responsibility to deliver a verdict.