Trial by jury | Prosecution insists on ‘clear circumstantial’ evidence

Ronnie Azzopardi's trial by jury for the murder by bombing in Zejtun seven years ago is nearing its close, as prosecutors have started addressing jurors, after defence lawyer Joe Mifsud conclude seven straight hours of submissions.

Azzopardi appeared satisfied at his lawyer's submissions to jurors, who insisted on an acquittal on the basis of no concrete evidence, insisting that the evidence brought before the court, was nothing more than circumstantial, and nothing concrete could pin his client to the crime.

Mifsud said that Azzopardi was never positively identified by any of the witnesses, while Police struggled to even collate any sound evidence that could prove his client had anything to do with the bomb and the subsequent explosion.

Ronnie Azzopardi, 41 of Bormla, faces a string of charges connected to a bomb explosion in Zejtun which cost the life of a 68-year-old woman and the serious injury of a bystander seven years ago, opted not to testify in his trial by jury before Mr. Justice Michael Mallia.

Azzopardi, is also accused of the attempted murder of the intended victim, his sister-in-law (whose name cannot be mentioned by court order) and three of her children.

The case revolves around Azzopardi's alleged fixation to take a Mercedes Benz car which belonged to his murdered brother Jason, and which was inherited by his sister-in-law, who was to be the intended victim.

Addressing the jurors, Mifsud said that Azzopardi was not even identified from photographs or even during an identification parade.

He also stressed that no evidence was brought by the prosecution that proves that Azzopardi had in fact pressed the button which remotely ignited the bomb.

The prosecution, led by Philip Galea Farrugia and Maurizio Cordina on behalf of the Attorney General's Office, stressed that contrary to what the defense counsel may argue, circumstantial evidence is 'clear' and must find clear guilt in the accused.

They stressed that the bomb was placed right beside a Peugeot 106 car belonging to Azzopardi's sister-in-law, which shows not only the intended target, but also the motive.

The prosecutors, who will continue their submissions this afternoon, stressed that evidence given by the accused's sister-in-law who claimed to have been seriously threatened by Azzopardi, who learnt about him trying to procure a bomb, says a lot about the accused.