Muka and Dragomanski guilty of Sliema double murder and theft

Daniel Muka has been convicted of murdering Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski in their Sliema home five years ago.

A jury found Muka, 30, guilty of the August 2020 murder, returning a unanimous verdict on Saturday afternoon after a 12-day trial.

His co-accused Victor Dragomanski was cleared of complicity in homicide by a 6-3 verdict but convicted of theft leading to homicide, which also carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. 

Muka was also found guilty of a raft of other crimes, ranging from theft to detaining his victims against their will and unlawful possession of a firearm. Jurors returned a unanimous verdict for all the charges he faced. 

Both men will learn how much jail time they will serve at a future hearing that will focus on sentencing.

Relatives of the two victims expressed relief at the verdict, saying the two accused "got what they deserved". 

Muka, Dragomanski and a third man who was tried separately, Jesper Kristiansen, planned to force their way into the Locker Street house and steal valuables from there.

Daniel Muka being led out of court in 2020. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Dragomanski initially remained inside the stolen Volkswagen Tiguan which the trio used as a getaway vehicle.

Kristiansen told the jurors that he and Muka had agreed between themselves to use violence but not weapons. Dragomanski was not involved in the plan, he said. 

Kristiansen recalled seeing Muka and Pandolfino at the door of the house, then hearing some shouting followed by a noise he likened to fireworks. He went to the door, and Muka emerged telling him he had to shoot. 

Muka then went to the stairs and shot at Maciejowski, killing him. Pandolfino, who was also killed, had been shot five times.

Kristiansen went to the car and told Dragomanski things had not gone according to plan. The two returned to the house just as Muka emerged, holding a gold necklace which he handed over to Dragomanski.

Dragomanski accompanied by police officers during an onsite visit to the crime scene. Photo: Jonathan Borg

The criminals spent less than four minutes at the Sliema house before fleeing, police later said.

The trio then left Sliema in the same vehicle which was later abandoned at the St Luke’s Hospital car park. Kristiansen then ordered a taxi for the three, which took them to another address in Sliema.

The three men were identified and arrested separately in the ensuing days. Muka was the first to be caught, with officers catching Dragomanski some days later in a Gzira hotel. Kristiansen, who had fled to Spain, was tracked down there and extradited to Malta.

Jurors heard how Dragomanski was livid with Muka when he was arrested, telling officers he wanted to “kill him” and musing “What has Daniel Muka got me into?”

Muka refused to cooperate during his trial, saying he did not want to be represented by the legal aid lawyer assigned to him. He adopted a similar attitude during Saturday’s session, telling the judge he did not want to take a seat in the courtroom and opting to follow proceedings remotely from another room in the Valletta law courts building.

Madam Justice Natasha Galea Sciberras presided.

AG lawyers Maria Francesca Spiteri and Kevin Valletta prosecuted.

Lawyers José Herrera and Alex Scerri Herrera assisted Dragomanski.

Legal aid lawyer Josette Sultana represented Muka.

Lawyers Joe Giglio and Michaela Giglio assisted the victims’ families.