Tanti took cash, passport when Zahra family discovered relationship

Erin Tanti, the 23-year-old supply teacher accused of murdering and assisting Lisa Maria Zahra, 15, in a suicide from Dingli cliffs was having a sexual relationship with the girl for the past four months.

Testifying in the first sitting of the compilation of evidence against Tanti, police inspector Keith Arnaud said he spoke to Tanti while he was recovered in the Mater Dei ITU – suffering from multiple rib fractures from his fall – and then under interrogation at the police headquarters.

Tanti availed himself of the right to remain silent during his questioning at the police headquarters.

Details emerging in today’s sitting established that Tanti and Zahra had a sexual relationship for four months, building up to the fateful day when the two attempted to kill themselves from Dingli cliffs on 19 March. Traces of semen belonging to Tanti were also found in linen extracted from Zahra’s bedroom. Pathologists’ reports have not yet been completed.

On 18 March, Tanti was discovered to have spent the night at Zahra’s house, upon which the house’s handyman, Martin Ciangura, reported the incident to her father Anthony Zahra. Zahra on his part cancelled a trip overseas to return to Malta, while Ciangura and Zahra’s son Nicholas, filed a police report.

Erin Tanti and Lisa Maria Zahra exchanged SMS texts over the course of five hours until 11:30pm, when he turned up in his car to pick her up and drove to Dingli.

Earlier in the day, he was said to have told Zahra in a text message that he would “stab himself” if police or her father tried to stop him, ostensibly fearful that he had been discovered in a relationship with her. In her SMS texts replying to him, Zahra told him to ‘calm down’.

Tanti was said to have warned Zahra that he would kill himself.

In his car, Tanti had his British passport and almost €3,000 in cash and cheques. Arnaud said that Tanti told him he was planning to kill himself, but that if it failed he would have left the island. He was said to have taken the money “because he was uncertain about what to do.”

The two drank half a bottle of whisky and ingested the contents of three packets of aspirin, found inside Tanti’s car by police.

Zahra was said to have jumped off the cliffs at 4am. Tanti told the police that he tried to stop her from jumping, after she insisted over the course of the night that she would kill herself. “She was sure of wanting to die. I told her that it was not right, and she called me a coward… I wanted a slower death so that we spend our last moments together.”

Tanti then was said to have told Arnaud that Zahra found a spot and jumped off and that he saw her plummet to her death. “He said that he felt he had let her down, and then proceeded to jump as well but landed on a rock, from where he was rescued.”

Arnaud said that Tanti had removed his jacket because of the heat of the sun as it was coming up. Scene of the crime officers used the jacket as a market to track the two youths’ movements.

Tanti then would have spent some four hours on the rock before four men, who were barbecuing up above the cliff-top, realised that he needed help.

Rescuers found Tanti wearing his boxer shorts and a t-shirt. He was said to have told them, upon being rescued, “I’ve messed it up. I jumped and now my friend is dead.”

Arnaud said that Tanti was conscious at the time and he showed the rescuer from where they had jumped. “His only regret was not dying with her,” Arnaud told the court. He also said that Tanti “could not explain how he survived the jump from the same spot.”

The police inspector also said that Tanti told him that the Zahra family “treated Lisa Maria like shit”; that she had tried to kill herself two years before, that she was beaten up by her father, stepmother and her brother; and that both of them were into self-harming, but that his request for assistance from national welfare agency Appogg had gone unheeded.

Text messages

Tanti’s defence team, led by Michael Sciriha, displayed SMS text messages in court pointing towards Lisa Maria Zahra as the instigator of the suicide.

The texts were read out, saying ‘I'm going to live with you... doing this alone’; 'Erin don't you dare - we're doing it tonight no matter what' and 'I love you so much right now. Be a brave little soldier for me'.

The texts were a selection of the five-hour exchange between the two that took place on 18 March before 11:30pm.

Arnaud appeared to set much store in saying that Erin Tanti’s mobile phone had saved Lisa Marie Zahra’s name under the pejorative term ‘douchebag’ but Tanti’s defence pointed out that it was Zahra’s own username on Skype.

Arnaud, when questioned by Gianella de Marco, appearing in parte civile for the Zahra family, said that he believed it was Tanti who instigated the suicide, telling her where to leave her suicide note. “She looked forward to sitting for her exams; she would tell him to calm down; he told her ‘I bought all we need’; she seemed oblivious to all this when she asked him ‘what did you buy’.”

Photos found in Zahra’s mobile phone included snaps of the two at Tanti's house and Zahra's bedroom, and three photos of Zahra naked in the bathroom, with a reflection off the bathroom mirror showing Tanti having snapped the photos.

Self-harm

Arnaud says an acquaintance of Tanti, James Muscat, knew of the relationship he had with Zahra. "[Muscat] described Tanti as a sociopath who had stopped caring about anything. He had noticed that Tanti was self-harming, but that he did not explain these injuries. He also said that Tanti told him Lisa Maria was 17 years going on 18.”

The police also spoke to Lisa Maria Zahra's former psychologist, with whom sessions had been stopped in 2013 when the girl was said to have reported progress in her therapy. In all they had 18 sessions.

12:09 The court is adjourned for Thursday Chris Mangion

12:07 Anthony Zahra, who was in the hall, had been instructed to exit the courtoom as he is also a witness in the case. Chris Mangion

12:05 Magistrate Audrey Demicoli asks legal counsels whether Anthony Zahra, father of the victim, will be testifying in court; Dr Joe Giglio, also appearing in parte civile for the family, informs the court that Zahra is in no state to take the stand. Chris Mangion

12:03 Pathologists' reports not yet completed, Arnaud informs court. Chris Mangion

12:02 End of cross-examination for police inspector Keith Arnaud Chris Mangion

12:00 Tanti is described as having been bulimic, and that both Zahra and Tanti were into self-harming, and that Tanti had sought help from Appogg Agency, the national welfare support agency. Chris Mangion

11:58 Arnaud: The jacket found on the scene, worn by Tanti, had been removed because he felt hot from the sun as it went up. He also says that the jacked was moved from the spot by the police, but used as a marker to track movements. Chris Mangion

11:57 Arnaud: Erin Tanti suffered multiple rib fractures, as certified by casualty staff. Chris Mangion

11:55 Sciriha: Did Tanti mention wanting a slow or painless death? Arnaud: "He said a 'slow death'. I am quoting him." Chris Mangion

11:55 Arnaud confirms that these SMS messages belong to Lisa Maria Zahra. Chris Mangion

11:54 Another text from Zahra: 'I'm going to live with you... doing this alone' Chris Mangion

11:54 Sciriha presents a selection of these texts: 'Erin don't you dare - we're doing it tonight no matter what' and 'I love you so much right now. Be a brave little soldier for me' Chris Mangion

11:52 Arnaud confirms that this text was part of a five-hour chat by SMS. Chris Mangion

11:52 One text highlighted by the defence: I want to run away. You just need to write a letter. I want to feel you one last time. Chris Mangion

11:51 The defence is now presenting details of the text messages sent by Zahra to Tanti. Chris Mangion

11:50 It was earlier stated by police inspector Keith Arnaud that Tanti kept Lisa Maria's name saved in his mobile phone as 'douchebag' (A pejorative term for an arrogant or obnoxious person) but Tanti's defence lawyer has pointed out that it was Zahra who used the appellation for her Skype account. Chris Mangion

11:48 Michael Sciriha corrects a point of fact: 'Douchebag' was the name that Lisa Maria Zahra used as her Skype name. Chris Mangion

11:47 Defence lawyer Michael Sciriha cross-examines Chris Mangion

11:47 Forensic officers who examined underwear, clothing and other things from Zahra's room, including a piece of linen that contained semen traces that were found to belong to Tanti. Chris Mangion

11:44 Call logs show a number of long telephone calls between the mobile phones of Tanti and Zahra, and from Zahra's landline at home to Tanti's mobile phone number. Chris Mangion

11:43 Arnaud tells court that he believes it was Tanti who "instigated" the suicide, told her to where to leave her note. "She looked forward to sitting for her exams; she would tell him to calm down; he told her 'I bought all we need'; she seemed oblivious to all this when she asked him 'what did you buy Chris Mangion

11:42 Cross-examination of Arnaud by Gianella de Marco, lawyer parte civile appearing for the Zahra family Chris Mangion

11:40 Tanti was said to have told Arnaud: "I wanted to kill myself. But if that failed I would have left the island." Chris Mangion

11:40 Arnaud: "Tanti also said that he took the money and passport because he was uncertain about what to do." Chris Mangion

11:39 Arnaud: "Tanti said he jumped from the same spot but could not explain why he did not die but instead injured himself." Chris Mangion

11:39 Arnaud said that one hour before being arraigned in court, Tanti told him that he didn't kill Lisa Maria, and that he was sorry that she had died. "She told Tanti that her relatives would beat her but that she did not want to go to a doctor or the police. So they went to Dingli to talk and consumed whisky - and then Lisa Maria jumped." Chris Mangion

11:37 He did not reply when asked why he had taken all that money with him in the car, and a passport, if he planned to die with her. Chris Mangion

11:37 During his interrogation, Tanti said that Zahra was insisting for five hours that she would kill herself. Chris Mangion

11:34 The SMS texts started at 6:30pm on 18 March, and ended at 11:30pm. Chris Mangion

11:34 Arnaud: "He told her that if her relatives know about him, or the police arrest him, he would start stabbing himself... Lisa Maria always replied telling him to 'calm down, calm down'." Chris Mangion

11:33 SMSes retrieved from Tanti's phone were said to have told Zahra to run away, and that he himself had purchased aspirin and that he had already stated taking the pills. Chris Mangion

11:32 According to Arnaud, Tanti's mobile phone had Lisa Maria's number saved under the not-so-flattering name 'Douchebag'. Chris Mangion

11:28 Photos on Lisa Maria Zahra's mobile phone included snaps of the two at Tanti's house and Zahra's bedroom; also of the two of them in bed; three photos of Lisa Maria naked in the bathroom, with a reflection off the bathroom mirror showing Tanti having snapped the photos. Chris Mangion

11:27 Arnaud says police investigated call logs. The last communication between Tanti and Zahra was at 11:30pm on 18 March, which is the time Tanti claimed to have picked her up. Tanti said they jumped from the spot in Dingli at 4am. Chris Mangion

11:23 Arnaud says an acquaintance of Tanti, James Muscat, knew of the relationship he had with Zahra. "He descibed Tanti as a sociopath who had stopped caring about anything. He had noticed that Tanti was self-harming, but that he did not explain these injuries. He also said that Tanti told him Lisa Maria was 17 years going on 18." Chris Mangion

11:22 The police also spoke to Lisa Maria Zahra's former psychologist, with whom sessions had been stopped in 2013 when the girl was said to have reported progress in her therapy. In all they had 18 sessions. Chris Mangion

11:19 Arnaud: "Tanti was conscious at the time and he showed the rescuer from where they had jumped." Chris Mangion

11:19 The rescue footage shows Tanti wearing a pair of boxer shorts, and a T-shirt. His jeans and shoes were found under a rock in the area. Chris Mangion

11:18 Arnaud relays the first comments Tanti was said to have told his rescuers: "I've messed it all up. I jumped and my friend is dead" [Ghaffigtha, qbizt u ghandi habiba mejta]. The police officer who arrived on the scene picked up the jacket, and used it as a marker for rescuers to find the body. The officer also moved the boot found in the area. Chris Mangion

11:16 The three cheques were made out from Sea Port Franchising; Bacchus Company Ltd; and St Michael Foundation. Chris Mangion

11:15 An envelope with 'Attn Erin' written on it, was found in the car's footwell. It contained almost €3,000 in cash, three cheques to him, and a suicide note addressed to his mother. Chris Mangion

11:13 The bottle of whisky, found in Tanti's car, was found half-empty, along with three empty packets of aspirin. Chris Mangion

11:12 A British passport belonging to Erin Tanti, as well as his car keys, were also found in a jacket found next to Lisa Maria Zahra's body - she was wearing a single boot, the other one having been found close by. Chris Mangion

11:12 Lucy, Tony Zahra's partner, was the last person to have spoken to Lisa Maria Zahra. On the morning of 19 March, Lisa Maria's brother Nicholas found her bed empty when he went to wake her up. Chris Mangion

11:11 Police spoke to the Zahra family at their residence, calling at the house after Zahra's father got to know that someone had spent two nights with his daughter in his house. Chris Mangion

11:09 Arnaud: "His only regret was not dying with her". Tanti was then placed under arrest at the ITU. Chris Mangion

11:09 Arnaud is reporting what Tanti told him: "Lisa's relatives treated her like shit. She had tried to kill herself two years before. Her father, brother and step-mum used to hit her" - and that this had pushed her to suicide. Chris Mangion

11:08 Arnaud says that Tanti said he "felt that he had let her down" and then proceeded to jump as well, but landed on a rock, from where he was rescued. He told officers that he had left a suicide note in his car. Chris Mangion

11:05 Tanti told the police that when Lisa Maria found a spot, she jumped, and that he saw her plummet to her death. Chris Mangion

11:05 When the aspirin and whisky did not work, Lisa Maria started looking for a spot from where to jump from. Tanti was said to have told her "that it was not right, and that she [Lisa Maria] called him a coward. 'I wanted a slower death so that we spend our last moments together'." Chris Mangion

11:04 Arnaud said the two took the pills and drank the whisky in a bid to commit suicide together. He says that Lisa Maria told Tanti - always going by Tanti's claims to him - that "she was sure of wanting do die" Chris Mangion

11:03 Tanti then bought 33mg of aspirin and bottle of Johnny Walker whisky. He picked up Lisa Maria and drove up to Dingli. Chris Mangion

11:02 Arnaud says that Tanti told Zahra: 'I'm going to kill myself' in a state of panic about the incident, but that he did not mean it. Chris Mangion

11:01 It was Zahra's handyman, Mark Ciangura, who told Anthony Zahra that Tanti was at the house; Lisa Maria then called Tanti to warn him that Ciangura had seen them and had reported them to her father. Chris Mangion

11:00 He said that Zahra's house maid, Lisa Maria's grandmother and a friend of Lisa Maria knew of the relationship; that he had met Lisa Maria during drama lessons; and that he had spent two nights at the Zahra house when her father went abroad. Chris Mangion

10:59 Tanti told Arnaud he was having a relationship with Lisa Maria for the past four months. Chris Mangion

10:59 Rescuers later found Lisa Maria's body. Tanti was recovered at the ITU, where he was visited there by police inspector Keith Arnaud. Chris Mangion

10:58 Arnaud says that Erin Tanti told police officers that he had jumped off the cliffs with his girlfriend, who lay dead close to him. Chris Mangion

10:58 Arnaud says that they only realised "four hours later" that he needed help and called rescuers. Chris Mangion

10:58 Arnaud says that they only realised "four hours later" that he needed help and called rescuers. Chris Mangion

10:58 He says the men remarked that "they thought he was sunbathing but he was seen trying to crawl around". Chris Mangion

10:57 Fast-forward to 19 March incident: Arnaud says that Tanti was spotted at Dingli cliffs by four men who were there having a barbecue. Chris Mangion

10:55 Arnaud says the police surmised that the couple were together at the time of the search. Matthew Vella

10:55 After this was reported to the police, officers searched Tanti's residence in Valletta. Arnaud says that "an empty cash box and a note of three lines" were found. Matthew Vella

10:54 He adds that the maid went to check on Lisa Maria, and found a note addressed to the family "explaining her absence". Matthew Vella

10:54 Arnaud says that CCTV footage confirms that Tanti was seen entering the house. Matthew Vella

10:53 Arnaud says that Zahra's father Anthony had cancelled his trip abroad to return to Malta, after being told by the Nicholas Zahra and Mark Ciangura, that a Mazda was parked outside the house - the car, a Mazda, belonged to Tanti. Matthew Vella

10:50 Police inspector Keith Arnaud takes the stand: he says that it was two people, Nicholas Zahra and Mark Ciangura, who reported to the police that "an unknown person" had spent the night in the house where Lisa Maria lived. Matthew Vella

10:49 Tanti is flanked by a nurse and two SRT officers; the Zahra family, including the victim's father Tony Zahra, are present, with their lawyers. Matthew Vella

10:48 Magistrate Audrey Demicoli is presiding the case. Matthew Vella

10:48 Erin Tanti, accused of the murder of 15-year-old Lisa Maria Zahra, has entered the courtroom. Matthew Vella

The compilation of evidence on the charges of murder and assisted suicide against Erin Tanti, 23, is expected to start today.

Tanti, a supply teacher of drama, was charged on Thursday with the murder and assisted suicide of Lisa Maria Zahra, 15, and of defiling her when she was in his care as a teacher, participating in sexual acts with her when she was a vulnerable person, and abusing his position of trust as a teacher.

Tanti has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was rescued by Civil Protection Department personnel on 19 March at a point at Ta’ Zuta, beneath Dingli cliffs, where it was believed he had attempted to take his life. Lisa Maria Zahra was found dead from a fall some distance away.

A substantial quantity of cash – over €2,500 was also found in the car – as well as three BOV and HSBC cheques made out to Tanti’s name from three separate companies, including St Michael Foundation, the school that enrolled Tanti as a supply teacher for drama studies.

Tanti was also a drama tutor for the Masquerade theatre company.

Police found a bottle of whisky in Tanti’s car as well as a substantial mount of aspirin tablets. Police were also said to be probing two written messages left by Zahra and Tanti at their home, prior to the tragic incident.

Tanti’s defence counsel, Michael Sciriha, requested the court to have his client kept under medical attention at the Mount Carmel Hospital’s forensic unit.

He said that Tanti had in the past requested assistance from the Appogg Agency for both him and Zahra several times before, but his requests had gone unheeded.

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.

The family of Lisa Maria Zahra released a statement in the aftermath of the murder charges, in which they said the 15-year-old was “looking forward to her future and the life ahead of her.”

“She was excited about finishing her exams and enjoying the summer ahead. She was busy planning what subjects to study in Sixth Form, and excited about her progress in the arts. She had everything to live for and we would like to remember her for all her wonderful traits,” Winston Zahra jnr, the hotelier, and nephew of Lisa Maria’s father Anthony Zahra, said in a press conference.

In the printed statement he read out, and distributed to the press, Zahra said the charges against Tanti were “clear and unequivocal”.

“He has been charged with the voluntary homicide of Lisa Maria apart from a number of other charges. I will not elaborate on the charges of any of the evidence, as the place for this to happen is in the courts and the family will not comment in any way, either now, or while the process runs its course.

“Despite the enormous pain cause by the loss of Lisa Maria, we will patiently wait for the justice system to work in the months ahead.”

Zahra said Lisa Maria was a “bright, intelligent and talented younger girl… shy but confident. She always spoke her mind but did so respectfully.”

He said the teenager was “occasionally rebellious”, anxious about her exams, but also vulnerable.