Father lashes out at Tanti: ‘You abused my daughter and killed her’

Tony Zahra, father of 15-year old Lisa Marie, this morning took the witness stand in the compilation of evidence against 23-year old drama teacher Erin Tanti.

Tanti is being charged the girl’s murder, assisting in her suicide, defilement of a minor, corruption of a minor, abuse of a position of trust, misuse of technology, and possession of indecent material involving minors.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli suspended the hearing and ordered the accused out of her hall when the courtroom erupted in chaos in the middle of Zahra’s evidence.

Lawyer Joe Gigilio, appearing for the victim’s family, had just asked the witness what his instinctive thoughts and feelings were, as a father who had returned home to find his daughter missing.

“I just believed that someone had got into my house”, Zahra started. But anger took over and, leaving the witness stand, he tried to assault the accused, who stood in the dock. Held back by officers and lawyers, Zahra lashed out at Tanti, “You entered my house, abused my daughter and killed her. You killed my daughter. Bastard you killed her!”

The victim’s father was surrounded by relatives and lawyers, who offered him solace and calmed him down. Magistrate Demicoli urged him to calm down for his own sake.

Ten minutes later, as the court was called to order. Zahra apologised to the Magistrate for his outburst. He continued that he had never heard the name of the accused prior to the day his daughter went missing.

“I was abroad when my estate manager informed me that a man was seen on CCTV footage entering my house. He came in at 11pm and left at 6am. I cancelled my stay in Dubai and flew back to Malta.

“On the way, I was informed that the man was a certain Erin Tanti – a drama teacher at Lisa Marie’s school. But I had never heard his name before. Apparently he was employed there some months earlier.

“When I arrived, I found officers at my home and was told that my daughter was missing. Later the same day, I was taken to the Police Headquarter where investigators informed me they had found Lisa Marie’s body at Dingli”, Zahra said.

Asked by Giglio if he had anything to add to his testimony, Zahra got angry, turned to face the accused and from the stand demanded to know the reason behind his daughter’s murder. “All I want to know is the reason why you killed my daughter. You could have taken my whole house, why did you take her? Why did you take away my daughter?”

As officers helped the emotional father out of the courtroom, his brother Winston Zahra Snr approached the accused with raised fists, shouting, “I’ll punch your face in.” However police officers on either side of Tanti held back the angered uncle and took him into the Magistrate’s chambers. At the same time, the victim’s cousin, Winston Zahra Jnr, approached Tanti’s father and spoke to him.

Prior to the incidents, Zahra, in a calm and composed manner, recounted how Lisa Marie’s mother was diagnosed with cancer a year after she gave birth to their daughter.  She lost her fight with the illness a year later. “We kept Carmen (Lisa Marie’s mother) at home. We did not want her to die in a hospital environment. Lisa Marie spent six months staying at her grandmother’s. After Carmen died, my daughter moved back with me”, he said.

Lisa Marie was brought up by a nanny and would spend weekends at her grandmother’s house - “We did this to keep alive Carmen’s memory”.

Zahra continued, saying that his daughter received her education at Chiswick House School before attending St Martin’s private school. However, acting on the advice of his niece who was an Assistant Head at St Michael’s school, he transferred his daughter believing “it was a better school with more discipline”.  The victim was studying for her O-Levels and had plans to study drama in the UK.

“She did ballet, attended Masquerade theatre classes and played the piano. Having had the experience to live abroad myself, I pushed her to study abroad,” Zahra said. Exhibiting his daughter’s certificates, the father pointed out they were all achieved with distinction. “She had a bright future ahead of her”.

Parte Civile lawyer Joe Giglio asked Zahra to go back to when his daughter was 12-years old. “I received a call from the school telling me she was self-harming. We sought help but were reassured that this could be normal behaviour for a 12-year old. Peer pressure could have been behind it”.

Never the less, Lisa Marie went under the care of Graziella Mercieca and Ethel Felice. She kept visiting Mercieca until November 2013. “It was Mercieca herself who told me that the sessions should stop because a lot of progress was already made and due to Lisa Marie’s upcoming exams. During parent’s day held in the same month, the teachers had nothing but praise for my daughter”, the witness said.

Asked about his travels, Zahra explained that when he went abroad, Lisa Marie stayed at her grandmother’s. “However in March she asked me to remain at our house as she needed to study. She was growing up.

“We had travelled together and she had also travelled alone. I had no problem with her staying in the house, but told my house keeper to keep an eye on her”, Zahra said, recalling how on their last trip together to see a show in London, Lisa Marie had purchased new clothes and was looking forward to the summer.

On the eve of 19 March this year, Zahra was in Dubai when an emotional Lisa Marie called him to say she had called at the wrong exam centre and missed her exam. The father calmed her down and told her all would be sorted on his return.

However the following morning Zahra’s estate manager Mark Ciangura informed him that a man had spent the night inside the house. “My manager told me the man was recognisable from the footage. His vehicle was seen outside the house.

“I instructed my house woman to stay with Lisa and not let her out of sight. I told them to take away her mobile phone and file a police report about the man. At that time, I had no clue who he was”, Zahra said.

It was at this time that Dr Joe Giglio questioned the victim’s father about his emotional and instinctive feelings as a father, causing the commotion in the courtroom.

Also in today’s hearing, Court expert Dr Mario Scerri listed the various injuries doctors found on the two youths. “Erin Tanti had fractured ribs, sprained vertebrae, a lot of abrasions and cuts. The injuries were compatible with a jump or fall from a height. He told me he had consumed an amount of alcohol and aspirin, and consented to doctors taking blood samples for analyses.

“Lisa Marie had a cranial fracture, which was the cause of death. Her hand was tightened into a fist, denoting she was terrified at the time of death. However she was conscious during the fall. She suffered broken ribs and vertebrae and had grass and branches in her clothes. She must have fallen into branches and shrubs”. The witness said the samples for Lisa Marie Zahra’s blood tests have yet to be taken to the UK for testing. The samples will be sent tomorrow.

A number of Civil Protection Officers and Police constables also took the stand, explaining their involvement in the transferring of the accused the victim’s body from the helicopter to the ambulance.

DNA expert Dr Marisa Cassar told the court that the DNA profile on the whiskey bottle, a pair of knickers and a piece of cloth found inside Tanti’s car was both of Zahra and Tanti. The underwear in Lisa Marie’s bedroom, the blood under her pillow, on a towel and in her diary only contained the victim’s DNA. However, Camilleri confirmed that no ‘mixing’ of DNA profiles was found anywhere.

Dr Marie Therese Camilleri presented the autopsy report.

Lawyers Joe Giglio, Giannella de Marco, Steve Tonna Lowell and Reuben Farrugia are appearing in parte civile for the Zahra family. Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha are appearing for Erin Tanti.

Inspectors Keith Arnaud, Josric Mifsud and Sylvana Briffa are prosecuting.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli put the case off until 1 July.

12:48 Case has been put off to 11 July. Chris Mangion

12:47 The CPD officers say they found a lot of paper, cash and alcohol in the car. Chris Mangion

12:36 Two CPD officers take the witness stand and explain how Tanti was hoisted up by the AFM helicopter and then transferred to an ambulance. Chris Mangion

12:25 The police officer says that after the AFM rescuer arrived on the scene, he went to inspect the body of the dead person. After seven minutes, he found a jacket and a shoe. "I found a person, face down inside the shrubs under a carob tree. I pulled out expecting her to talk to me, but she was ice-cold. She was dead. I put her back the same way I had found her. I picked up the jacket and hung it on a tree to mark the place where the body was so that the rescuers could lift it." Chris Mangion

12:24 He says he was called over to Dingli cliffs, where he met a group of people who accompanied him on the site. There he was shown a pathway to get to near Tanti. "He told me: 'I've messed it up, sir, I jumped. I'm in pain. There's someone dead over there." [Ghaffiggta, sir, qbizt. Jien migugh. Hemm persuna ohra mejta hemm] Chris Mangion

12:21 A police officer from the Rapid Intervention Unit, now takes the stand. Chris Mangion

12:21 Michael Sciriha, defence lawyer for Tanti has requested a copy of the medical report, listing in detail the injuries sustained by Tanti. Chris Mangion

12:18 Court expert Mario Scerri says the samples for Lisa Maria Zahra's blood tests have yet to be taken to the UK for testing. The samples will be sent tomorrow Wednesday. Chris Mangion

12:17 Scerri says that Tanti had some fractured ribs and vertebrae. "Tanti told me that he had consumed a lot of aspirin and alcohol, and consented for the doctors to take blood samples and analyse them." Chris Mangion

12:16 Scerri says Zahra had a cranial fracture, and that her hand been tightened in a fist, "denoting that she was terrified". Tanti is now crying. Chris Mangion

12:15 Scerri lists the various injuries Zahra had, including fractures, abrasions and the swelling of vital organs. "Lisa's injuries made us believe she was conscious during the fall." Chris Mangion

12:15 Court expert Mario Scerri is next on the stand. Chris Mangion

12:14 Winston Zahra approaches Tony Zahra to have a word with him. Chris Mangion

12:14 Police pull Zahra away from the accused again. Zahra is escorted outside the hall. Winston Zahra is taken into the magistrate's chambers. Joe Giglio tells the court he has no further questions for Tony Zahra. Chris Mangion

12:13 Zahra tells Tanti: "I'll punch your face in." Chris Mangion

12:12 Zahra to Tanti: "All I want to know is why did you kill my daughter? That's all I want to know. You could have taken the whole house. Why did you take my daughter?" Chris Mangion

12:12 Zahra agains gets emotional and shouts at Erin Tanti. Chris Mangion

12:08 Zahra: "It is constantly in my head: I sleep and wake up thinking about it." Chris Mangion

12:08 Zahra: "When I got home, I found that Lisa was now missing. There were police at my house. I was told that Erin Tanti was a drama teacher at Lisa's school. He had been working there for a couple of months. Later that same day, I was taken to the police headquarters, where I was told that they had found the body of my daughter." Chris Mangion

12:07 Zahra continues. He says that upon learning that someone had spent the night at his house, he asked that a police report be filed. He cancelled his trip and returned to Malta the next day. "In the meantime, I had received information that the man in question was Erin Tanti - I had never heard his name before." Chris Mangion

12:05 Tony Zahra, now composed, takes the stand, and apologises to the court for his outburst. "This is very hard for me." The magistrate urges him to calm down, for his own sake. Chris Mangion

12:04 Court resumes. Chris Mangion

11:58 Lawyers and relatives have surrounded Zahra, with Dr Gianella De Marco, another of the in parte civile lawyers trying to calm him down. Chris Mangion

11:53 Court has been suspended, and the witness has been sat down. Erin Tanti has been taken out of the courtroom. Chris Mangion

11:53 Zahra has just attempted to make a rush at the accused, but has been held by lawyers. Chris Mangion

11:52 Zahra: "You abused my daughter, you bastard. You went into my house, abused my daughter, and killed her." Chris Mangion

11:51 There is commotion in court now. Chris Mangion

11:51 Zahra steps off the witness stand, shouting at Erin Tanti Chris Mangion

11:50 "The following morning, my estate manager, Mark Ciangura, called me to tell me that a man had entered the home at 11pm, and left at 6am. He had checked the CCTV footage and saw the man's car driving up. He told me that 'someone had slept at the house'." Chris Mangion

11:50 Zahra recounts how emotional his daughter had been after going to the wrong examination centre, when he was overseas in Dubai. This was on the eve of the 19 March, 2014. Chris Mangion

11:46 "When I go abroad she usually stayed at home with her grandmother. However, as she was studying, she asked me to stay home. I left my housekeeper with her. She was now grown up. We had travelled together and she had also travelled alone. The last time we travelled together was to watch a show in London, where she also bought cloths for the summer and autumn." Chris Mangion

11:44 Zahra is now recalling the day Lisa Maria Zahra went missing. Chris Mangion

11:41 Zahra: "Back in November, all teachers had words of praise for her during parents' day." Chris Mangion

11:39 Zahra: "She kept visiting Mercieca until November 2013. Mercieca told me that she had achieved a lot of progress, proposing a break in therapy. At the same she was studying hard for her O-levels." Chris Mangion

11:37 Zahra: "I had been informed by the school that she was self-harming. We sought help... while I was concerned about this, I was told that it was something that youths at that age could go through for various reasons, including peer pressure. She was then under the care of Graziella Mercieca, and Ethel Felice." Chris Mangion

11:36 In parte civile lawyer Joe Giglio, for the Zahra family, now takes Zahra back to when his daughter was 12 years old. Chris Mangion

11:36 Zahra exhibits a list of certificates that Zahra achieved, all with distinction he points out. "She had a bright future ahead of her." Chris Mangion

11:35 Zahra: "She did ballet, attended Masquerade theatre classes, played the piano... I always pushed her idea to go study abroad, having had the experience of living abroad myself." Chris Mangion

11:34 Tanti, sitting in the dock, is now in tears. Chris Mangion

11:33 Zahra: "I would drive her to school and pick her up again. I was both a father and a mother to her. I wanted to protect her from all kinds of suffering. She had plans to go study drama in the UK. She was studying for her O-levels." Chris Mangion

11:32 Zahra says his daughter was educated at Chiswick House School before attending St Michael's private school, saying he believed it was "a better school" and that he did this on the advice of his niece, the assistant head at St Michael's. Chris Mangion

11:31 Zahra says Lisa Maria was brought up by a nanny, while during the weekends, Carmen's mother would keep Lisa Maria at her home. Chris Mangion

11:30 Zahra: "We cared for [my wife] Carmen at home. She died at home. We didn't want her to die in hospital. Lisa spent the last six months living at her grandma's house. After Carmen died, Lisa moved back with me." Chris Mangion

11:29 Zahra speaks in short pauses, taking his time. Chris Mangion

11:29 Zahra's wife died a year later after her cancer diagnosis. Chris Mangion

11:28 Zahra says he is the father of Lisa, and Nicholas, 37. He says Lisa's mother was diagnosed with cancer a year after the birth of his daughter. Chris Mangion

11:28 Next on the stand is Zahra's father, Tony Zahra. Chris Mangion

11:27 Camilleri has exhibited the autopsy report. Chris Mangion

11:26 Camilleri carried out the autopsy on the body of Zahra, together with Dr Ali Safraz, who is currently abroad. Chris Mangion

11:26 Next on the stand is pathologist Dr Marie Therese Camilleri. Chris Mangion

11:25 End of Aquilina's testimony. Chris Mangion

11:25 Aquilina: "One of the injured people was dead, and I couldn't see her. The other man had a beard... I'm not sure if it's the man sitting the dock. I didn't talk to him." Chris Mangion

11:25 Aquilina recounts day in which at 4pm, CPD received a call that 2 people had fallen off the cliffs at Dingli. He requested the transfer of the casualties on site via the AFM helicopter, while CPD personnel cleared the area. Chris Mangion

11:21 The testimony stops here. Next on the stand is Christopher Aquilina, a senior member of the Civil Protection Department involved in the rescue mission of 19 March. Chris Mangion

11:21 Farrugia Sacco has handed in copies of his report containing an analysis of laptops and mobile phones. Chris Mangion

11:20 Next witness to take the stand is Steve Farrugia Sacco, an IT court expert. Chris Mangion

11:20 Blood found on Lisa Maria Zahra's jacket, was said to be long to Erin Tanti. Chris Mangion

11:16 Cassar however says that she did not find "mixing" of DNA profiles. A towel and bed linen, and nail scrapings from Lisa Maria Zahra, were found to include only her DNA. A blood sample retrieved from inside her personal diary, was said to belong solely to Zahra. Chris Mangion

11:15 Cassar confirms her medical report, which stated that DNA profiles from the whisky bottle found inside Tanti's car at Dingli, a pair of knickers and a piece of cloth resulted in both the victim's and Tanti's DNA traces being found. Chris Mangion

11:09 The first witness to take the stand is court expert Dr Marisa Cassar. Police inspector Keith Arnaud is leading the prosecution. Chris Mangion

11:08 Today, Zahra's father Tony Zahra, the entrepreneur, is expected to testify. Chris Mangion

11:07 Magistrate Audrey Demicoli presides in the continuation of the compilation of evidence against Erin Tanti, 23, accused of having assisted in the suicide of Lisa Marie Zahra. Chris Mangion