Choker incident sole reason for victim's agressive behaviour towards accused, jury told

The only reason the police could find to possibly explain Anthony Borg il-Bona's aggressive challenge to Allan Galea was that the latter had touched his heavy gold choker three weeks before the fatal stabbing when both were drunk, a jury was told.

Mr Galea, 36, stands charged with murdering Mr Borg, 39, in the Marsaxlokk square on February 21, 2010.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Giannella de Marco, Inspector Joseph Mercieca, who was investigating the incident at the time, said the deceased had phoned the accused some six times within the space of 15 minutes at around 6pm, cursing and challenging him to fight.

Mr Galea only answered one call and left the house. The rest were answered by his girlfriend Amanda Grech, who was at home with their one-year-old daughter. Terrified, she phoned the police, asking them to run down to the PN club.

Insp. Mercieca said that Paul Borg - who ran the Marsaxlokk PN club where the deceased and his relatives had been drinking since 2.30pm on the day - told him that the deceased had asked him for Mr Galea's number but he didn't have it.

He somehow managed to obtain it anyway and proceeded to call him, with Mr Borg (the barman) saying...