VERDICTS

In 2026 (4 years later) Roderick Cassar was sentenced to 40 years for killing his estranged wife Bernice

In 2024 (2 years later), Lawrence Abina from Ghana was handed a life sentence for murdering his partner Rita Ellul

In 2023 (5 years later), Michael Emmanuel from the Ivory Coast was handed a life sentence for murdering his partner Lourdes Agius, insanity plea rejected.

In 2023 (5 years later), Kevin Micallef pleaded insanity and jurors concluded that he was not of sound mind when he killed his mother Antonia Micallef and aunt Maria Carmela Fenech.. He is now being held at Mt Carmel.

In 2022 (3 years later), Joseph Bonnici was sentenced 36 years for murdering his mother Marija Lourdes and sister Angele

In 2020 (2 years later) Jelle Rijpma from the Netherlands was jailed for 30 years for killing his former girlfriend Shannon Man

In 2019 (2 years later) Djibril Ganiou from Togo was sentenced to 30 years for murdering his former partner, Caroline Magri.

In 2016 (4 years later) – Laszlo Nandor Marton from Hungary was sentenced to 25 years for killing his partner Yvette Gadja

In 2015 (3 years later) Nizar El Gadi from Libya was sentenced to life for murdering his ex-wife Margaret Mifsud

In 2015 (5 years later) Kenneth Gafa was sentenced to 35 years for killing his former girlfriend, Christine Sammut

In 2014 ( 5 years later) Clive Farrugia was sentenced to 40 years for killing girlfriend’s mother, Theresa Vella

In 2012 (3 years later), Roger Agius was sentenced to 31 years for killing his estranged wife, Catherine Agius .

In 2010 (6 years after she was murdered by a hitman) the ex-husband of Patricia Attard, Carmel Vella was sentenced to 6 years in prison for an earlier plot to murder his wife after hiring hitmen. In 2012, Josef Grech, suspected to be the hitman, was shot dead while out on bail awaiting trial.

In 2009 (5 years later) David Norbert Schembri was sentenced to life for killing his former partner Josette Scicluna. Violent altercations in prison have added another 7 years to his sentence.

In 2011 (2 years later) Sergeii Nykytiuk from the Ukraine, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for leaving his wife Liudmila Nykytiuk to die after a fall.

In 2007 (2 years later) Jurors decided that Anthony Schembri was not insane at the time he murdered his wife, Doris Schembri. Another appeal filed in 2010 by Schembri, claiming insanity, was also dismissed. Because he was declared legally sane and criminally responsible at the time of the attack there are no pending trial dates. He was initially granted bail on the condition that he resides at Mt Carmel. The state processed him as a high-risk individual requiring medical and psychiatric supervision, leading to his continued detention in Mount Carmel’s secure forensic section

In 2005 (4 years later), Alfred Azzopardi was sentenced to life for killing Vanessa Grech with whom he had a sexual relationship, and her baby daughter Ailey.

In 2003 (1 year later) Walid Nureddin Bazena, a Libyan national was handed a 25 year prison sentence for killing his partner Rachel Muscat. After serving his time, he was deported.

In 2003 (4 years later) Francis Buhagiar was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing his sister Maria Buhagiar

In 2003 ( 2 years later) Salvu Gauci was originally sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing his sister-in-law Anna Kok. In 2004, due to an error during the trial, the sentence was reduced on Appeal to 12 years. While serving his sentence he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and his family supported by a media campaign were advocating for a presidential pardon which was heavily opposed by Kok’s family. He died while still serving time.

In 2002 (3 years later) Ronnie Vella was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his wife Jane Vella

In 2000 (7 years later) Joseph Harrington was sentenced to life for killing Sylvia King. He died in prison in 2014 while serving his sentence due to illness.
His accomplice Tony Baldaccino was sentenced to 19 years for his role in the abduction and murder.

In 1996 (3 years later) Grazio Gerada was sentenced to 4 years for killing his wife Diane Gerada after concluding that he had acted under provocation.

In 1992 (4 years later) David Austin Calleja was sentenced to 7 years for killing Eve Camilleri, as it was ruled a “crime of passion”. He was handed 14 years in prison in total because of other charges, He only served 9 years because of good behaviour.

PERPETRATOR KILLED HIMSELF or WAS KILLED

In 2024, Edward Johnston who killed his former girlfriend Nicolette Ghirxi was shot and killed by police the next day after a three hour stand off.

In 2011, John Agius hung himself after killing his partner Karen Cheatle.

In 2004, Joseph Attard, who killed his partner Katya Farrugia, committed suicide after he shot her

In 2002, Gilju Tanti who killed his estranged wife Pauline Tanti, then hung himself

In 1999, Jackie Catania killed his wife Emelia and teenage daughter Jacqueline, and then killed himself 

PENDING CASES – NO JUSTICE YET FOR VICTIMS

6 years later, the case of Chantelle Chetcuti, killed by former partner Justin Borg, still doesn’t have a trial date due to delays. However family members were recently informed that they are close to getting a date. Meanwhile Borg was granted bail 8 months after the murder.

10 later no trial date has been set yet for Eleanor Walker (Mangion) who was killed by her estranged husband Andrew Mangion due to severe delays in justice system and prolonged pre-trial battles. Despite confessing to police, his statements were deemed inadmissible because he had no lawyer present. He was granted bail just a year after his arrest.

11 years later, Eddine G Ibrahim from Libya is still on the run after fleeing the country following the murder of his ex-wife Silvana Muscat

14 years later, the case of Meryem Bugeja (pregnant with twins) remains unsolved. Her estranged husband was a prime suspect but there was a lack of evidence linking him to the crime. DNA testing later showed he was not the father of the unborn twins.

15 years later, Mustafa Kosogeli from Turkey, the prime suspect in killing of Irena Abadzhieva, is still on the run despite European and international arrest warrants being issued.

18 years after murdering Charlene Farrugia, and 7 years after John Woods confessed, the trial hasn’t been held yet. During his arraignment he pleaded not guilty so the case must first proceed through a Bill of Indictment. He has been in prison custody since 2019 on a separate conviction of armed robbery.

The 1994 murder of Maria Cardona remains a cold case. Despite her husband being a prime suspect there was not enough evidence against him