Trial by jury begins in Marsalforn murder case

A jury trial in connection with the murder of Fawez Najem, nearly four years after the fatal incident in Marsalforn , began on Monday. The accused, Maher Aljasem, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident and is now 28, stands charged with the murder of Fawez Najem (photo) during a violent confrontation at a residence in Marsalforn in May 2022 . He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to evidence presented during earlier court proceedings, Najem sustained a fatal stab wound to the chest, which pierced the heart. The court had heard how he was placed in a car and rushed to hospital, but he bled to death on the way. During the compilation of evidence, witnesses described how tensions escalated shortly before the incident. Testimony indicated that Najem had gone to the residence where the accused was present and knocked on the door. It was alleged in court that he told those inside that he intended to slash the accused, moments before the situation turned violent. Judge addresses jury Presiding judge Neville Camilleri opened proceedings by addressing the jury, outlining both the structure of the courtroom and the fundamental principles of criminal law. He explained the roles of the different parties, indicating where the prosecution, defence lawyers and the accused are seated, and clarified that the prosecution is led by lawyers from the Attorney General's office. The judge went on to explain key legal principles, including the presumption of innocence, stressing that the accused must be considered innocent unless proven guilty. He explained that it is the role of the prosecution to bring forward the charges and present evidence against the accused, while the defence is tasked with contesting those accusations. The jury was also told that the defence is always granted the final word in proceedings. Concluding his address, he assured the jurors that all aspects of the process will be explained as the trial moves on. He added that, after hearing all the evidence, it will ultimately be their responsibility to deliver a verdict.
2026-04-13 10:37:00