THE Heather Barnett murder trial continued to hear live evidence from Potenza in Italy via video link this morning, Wednesday June 1.

Much of the evidence heard at Winchester Crown Court today centred around the disappearance and murder of 16-year-old schoolgirl Elisa Claps in Italy on Sunday September 12, 1993.

First to appear via video link was Giovanni Motta who was the boyfriend of Anna Restivo – defendant Danilo Restivo’s sister – in 1993.

Speaking about the events of September 12, 1993, Mr Motta said he went for lunch at midday at the Restivo family home.

Restivo was not there and Mr Motta and Anna went out to get petrol for his car.

Mr Motta said he returned to Restivo’s house between 1pm and 1.10pm and saw Restivo walking back.

He added: “He seemed fairly agitated and he asked for us to take him straight away to the hospital because he had an injury.

“He was very sweaty.”

Mr Motta said Restivo had a small cut on the skin between his thumb and index finger.

“It was still bleeding but not enough to go to hospital.”

Mr Motta told the court Restivo reported injuring himself on escalators which he had visited out of “curiosity”.

He added that Restivo’s clothes were “soaked” that day and it hadn’t been raining.

The court also heard from Paola Santarsiere, who met Restivo in 1993 after being introduced to him by Elisa.

Ms Santarsiere said Restivo invited her to meet him at the escalator building site but she had declined.

She said she met with Restivo a week after Elisa’s disappearance and he seemed “more agitated and nervous than usual”.

Ms Santarsiere said she’d had a conversation with Restivo about churches in Potenza and he’d said he knew every “nook and cranny”.

Michael Bowes QC, prosecuting, asked Ms Santarsiere: “Did he say whether he knew the secrets of the churches?”

Ms Santarsiere replied: “Yes he said that.”

Mr Bowes added: “Did he ever talk to you about how he might react if someone did him wrong?”

Ms Santarsiere said: “Yes. He said if anyone made him angry he was capable of brutal actions.”

Cross examining, David Jeremy QC, put it to Ms Santarsiere that all Restivo said about his knowledge of churches was that he helped the priest of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity lock up.

Ms Santarsiere replied: “Yes, he did say that.”

Mr Jeremy said: “Danilo did not say to you he was good but was capable of being brutal.”

Ms Santarsiere replied: “No, he did say it to me.”

Mr Jeremy suggested she had imagined it after discovering what had happened to Elisa.

Ms Santarsiere replied: “No, he did say it. I didn’t imagine it.”

The court also heard from Angelica Abbruzzese, who was close friends with Elisa and attended mass at the church the day Elisa disappeared.

Another friend, Eliana De Cillis, was due to go to Elisa’s for lunch that day but she didn’t turn up.

Angelica said she and Eliana went looking for Elisa but could not find her.

She told the court she went to Elisa’s house and made a number of telephone calls - one of which was to Restivo.

Angelica said she asked Restivo if he’d seen Elisa.

“He said he wanted to ask some advice of Elisa and they hadn’t spent much time together.

“He wanted advice about a girl who didn’t return his feelings.

“Restivo didn’t know what had happened to Elisa. He said Elisa had left the church and he had stayed there for a few minutes.

Danilo Restivo, 39, of Chatsworth Road, Charminster, denies murdering Heather Barnett on November 12, 2002.

The trial continues.