Murder trial: Prosecution, defence in final submissions

Updated - Adds defence submissions - Jurors in the trial of David Zerafa, who is accused of murdering Gozitan lawyer Michael Grech, are this morning hearing submissions by the prosecution and defence. Philip Galea Farrugia from the Attorney General's office insisted the testimony by key witness Rodney Vella and Dr Grech's wife, Maria, was corroborated by facts. Dr Galea Farrugia said it would have been impossible for Mr Vella to have known all the details of the facts of the murder unless he was told so by someone who was involved. Mr Vella was one of two inmates who claimed that Mr Zerafa had confessed with them that he killed Dr Grech, giving them various details of what happened on that fateful night nine years ago. The other inmate, Steve Spiteri, has since died. The prosecutor asked jurors to observe the demeanor of the accused in the dock when Mr Vella testified in court. "He sat down throughout the jury even when Ms Grech testified but when Mr Vella took the witness stand he stood up," Dr Farrugia Galea said, implying this was a threatening gesture. He insisted the details the inmates had such as the axe that Mr Zerafa kept at home could not have been known to...