Bulgarian charged with murder of Serb

27-year old Emil Atanasov, born in Bulgaria and resident at St Paul's Bay, was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to murdering Serbian national Dragoljub Kristic. The victim was killed with a single stab to the heart.

Born in Grocka, Serbia and living in Malta since late last year, Dragoljub Kristic was killed in the common area on the first floor of an apartment in Triq il-Merluz, St Paul's Bay.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud charged Atanasov with inflicting the single and fatal penknife stab to Kristic's heart. The Bulgarian was also charged with being in possession of an unlicensed weapon.

The accused, a construction worker by profession who is currently unemployed, informed the court that the accused had no financial means to pay for a lawyer. His claim was corroborated by the police who said they had bought him cigarettes themselves. Legal aid lawyer Renzo Porsella Flores was appointed defence counsel.

34-year-old Macedonian national Dani Krstski told the court he arrived in Malta in May 2013 and now works in construction industry. Krstski lived in same flat as the accused, but shares the room with co-national Goran Manojlovski.

"At about 7.30pm I went for a drink and met two Serbs - victim Dragoljub Kristic and 33-year old Zoran Jocic. We had two beers at a bar then moved to another bar and drank another beer," the witness said. Upon returning to the first bar, they had their drinks paid for by a British woman. Manojlovski also joined the group at this time. As time passed, the bar closed for the night and finding nowhere else open they went to continue partying in their apartment.

"We asked Emil Atanasov to lend us his speakers, which he did. When he heard our Serbian music he joined us," Krstski said.

Having had enough of the ruckus, one of the neighbours then proceeded to cut off their electrical supply from the common area. Krstski went down to see what was happening but did not find anyone. When he returned to the apartment Atanasov complained that he had been assaulted by one of the Serbs, and went to his room.

"When they got up to leave the flat, Emil Atanasov got out of his bedroom looking very angry. I pinned him to the wall and told him to stop causing trouble. I heard something metallic fall from his hands but he just went back to his room. Moments later a commotion broke out in the flat's main entrance. I went out and saw Kristic in a pool of blood. I made a friend that evening and lost him a few hours later," the emotional witness said.

The next witness, Macedonian national Goran Manojlovski, said he had been living in Malta for the past seven months and shares an apartment with the accused. He is Krstski's roommate.

"While at the flat we ran out of cigarettes so I went to buy some. However when I returned there was no electricity and I only managed to walk up the stairs with the light from the street lamp. Atanasov and Krstski were arguing, but I had no idea what had happened," he said.

Court suspends hearing

Magistrate Claire Stafrace suspended the hearing to hear the arraignment of 33-year old Zoran Jocic, from Belgrade.

Jocic was charged with assaulting Emil Atanasov, slightly injuring him in the face.  The accused pleaded guilty and was handed a six-month conditional discharge.

As the case against Emil Atanasov resumed, Jocic took the witness stand, saying he came to Malta for a holiday but stayed on looking for a job. "I arrived on 7 December last year and shared an apartment with Kristic."

Jocic recalled that he was at the bar with the victim when they met Macedonian national Dani Krstski, who later invited them to his flat.

"After some time at the apartment there was a power cut so we started singing. Suddenly he walked into the room and argued with Kristic," the witness said, pointing at the accused Atanasov. "One was shouting in Serbian and the other in Bulgarian so I have no idea how they understood each other - if they did."

As the two Serbs walked out of the apartment, Atanasov punched the witness in the face and Kristic intervened. "I saw my flat-mate holding his wound and bleeding profusely. He had a look of pain in his eyes and I ran out looking for help," Jocic recalled.

When the witness returned in the company of police officers, the victim was lying on the stairs in a pool of blood. A medical officer pronounced Kristic dead.

"I never thought the night would end in tragedy. We drank a lot of alcohol and I don't remember a lot of details. I don't even recall how I injured Atanasov. All I know is that there was an argument, maybe the loud music annoyed him. But the details are hazy because Kristic and I were drunk," the witness concluded.