Key facts
- A witness testified that Daphne Caruana Galizia screamed in panic moments before a car bomb killed her.
- The witness described a two-stage explosion, with the first spark activating the device.
- Caruana Galizia was killed in 2017 by a remotely detonated bomb placed under her car seat.
- Yorgen Fenech is on trial, accused of ordering the journalist's murder.
- Police officers described the scene, noting the victim's body parts and a crater in the road.
A witness testified in court that journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia screamed in panic moments before a remotely detonated bomb killed her in 2017. The neighbor, Francis Sant, who was driving in the opposite direction, saw her car just before the explosion.
Sant described what appeared to be a two-stage explosion. The first spark, like a firework, ignited under the car, leaving Caruana Galizia conscious and seemingly panicked. He heard her scream, suggesting she tried to roll down her window. A second, larger explosion then tore the car apart, sending it into a field.
Yorgen Fenech, heir to a property and hotels fortune, faces a life sentence if convicted of ordering the murder. He denies the charges. The trial began after a lengthy legal process.
Police officers also testified, describing the scene as a "total loss" with body parts found in the field. Photographs of the victim's burned body and the crater in the road were presented to the court.