Magistrate says enough evidence for Liam Debono to stand trial for attempted murder of constable
Arraignment of Liam Debono, accused of the attempted murder of police officer Simon Schembri in hit-and-run
The compilation of evidence against Liam Debono continued before Magistrate Joe Mifsud this morning. Follow the live-blog here by Massimo Costa here.
KEY POINTS
- The Mercedes Liam Debono was driving belonged to his sister, who also had no licence, and was garaged.
- Debono was driving the car using stolen number plates, which he bought off a man in Żejtun for €10.
- Four days before the hit-and-run, Debono had been caught driving without licence and had crashed into another car. That case was never reported because the person he crashed into declined to press charges.
- PC Simon Schembri had initially stopped Debono because he was not wearing a seatbelt. He then radioed in and discovered the car’s number plates were stolen.
- The friction mark caused by the Mercedes was 360 metres long.
- PC Schembri was wearing upgraded protective gear which he had paid for from his pocket.
- Mr Debono remained calm, collected and tight-lipped during his police interrogation.
Mamo then saw the car for the third time, but he can't recall how much time elapsed from the second time to the third time he saw it. "I don't know exactly where it came from, but this time it was coming in my direction... previously I had seen it going away from me in the industrial estate... after this third sighting of the car, I didn't see it again.
Mamo testimony ends - no more witnesses for today.
Matthew VellaMamo now explaining what happened after he saw the car for the second time. He says he saw it "swerving - like when something is stuck under the car and you are trying to dislodge it - like when a plastic bag is caught under your car."
Debono asked if he could see something under the car at the time. Mamo says he couldn't tell from the perspective he had - he could only see the car's sides, since it was swerving, and its bonnet. This second sighting happened "near the reservoir, where there is the car dealer and the Nissen huts." Debono asks if he saw the car having an impact, with Mamo replying in the negative. "I did not say any impacts." "At no point did I see something under the car," he said, now clarifying that he only saw the object when it had been dislodged from under the car. "I tried to avoid the car because it was approaching me at speed from behind." Debono asking how far the car was the first time that Mamo noticed the human being on the ground. "I can't say for sure. But I saw the car spinning its wheels and losing traction at its back end. The car kept going towards the industrial estate. At no point did I see the person who was driving." Matthew VellaDefence lawyer Franco Debono now asking Mamo why he felt he had to call emergency for a secod time, given there were already police officers at the scene. Mamo said he had been told to do so by the police on the scene.
"When I first exited my car, only I and the other person who I asked if he had called emergency, were on the scene. I have a medical background," Mamo said, explaining this is why he had stayed on the scene even after the police arrived. Mamo is now explaining the route he normally takes to get to work at San Vincenz. "I saw the Mercedes [for the first time] somewhere along this route." He now appears less clear exactly where he saw it. Debono saying it is not true that Mamo saw the Mercedes for the first time in the Hal Ghaxaq bypass. "It is not true. He did not go through the Hal Ghaxaq bypass. You can't tell us where you saw the car for the first time. You were explaining that he tried to overtake you, but you don't know where you saw it." "You first explained where you saw the car for the first time, but now you can't tell us where," Debono said. "I would like to know exactly which road he saw the car for the first time. He is now saying he doesn't remember where. What was worth noting about this car," Debono asked. "The fact he tried to overtake me from the left," Mamo replied. "So you can't remember where you saw it, even though this overtaking attempt happened," Debono insisted. Matthew Vella"Shortly later I saw the car for the second time - it was clear to me that was the car I had seen before [when he had taken the exit road shortly before, I thought I had saved my skin because I thought he was coming for me] - I saw an object on the ground - I did not know if it was under the car or if it had been hit by the car.
"I then realised, in a split-second, that it was not an object but a human being. I saw a helmet and other things which do not belong to an inanimate object. I stopped my car and got out. I spoke to a person who was there and asked if he called an ambulance. I don't even know what he replied. I called emergency, and then police officers arrived."
Matthew VellaChristopher Mamo, a civilian, now giving testimony:
"At around 7.30am I was on my way to work at San Vincenz de Paul hospital. I was coming from the direction of the airport and driving towards Qormi.
"On the way, at first I do not remember seeing anything. Then I remember horns, and looked in my car's rear view mirror. I saw a car approaching 'aggresively'. The car was a Mercedes - I recognised its badge - I remember I had already seen that car earlier that day during my trip. I couldn't recognise the exact colour as my rear windscreen was a bit dirty - but it was a light colour, silverish.
"It was approaching at substantial speed and was swerving. It was 'aggressive' because of the speed.
"I had earlier seen the Mercedes driving as I was driving through the Hal Ghaxaq bypass. He had tried to overtake me from the left. I recognised this was the same car as I saw the sticker on the car - a yellow sticker with writing in cursive. At the time I did not recognise what the words were on the sticker. But I remember seeing that stiker earlier in the Hal Ghaxaq Bypass. The sticker was on the front windscreen - I saw it through my rear view mirror."
Matthew Vella