The man who admitted murdering Turkish interior designer Pelin Kaya has been sentenced to 40 years in jail but a judge said she believed the sentence should have been higher. 

Jeremie Camilleri, 34, a Maltese-French national who lives in Lija, pleaded guilty during the compilation of evidence in court last month.

Camilleri smashed into the 30-year-old with his BMW car as she walked home along Testaferrata Street, Gżira shortly after celebrating her birthday on 18 January 2023.

Eyewitnesses described how he then emerged from the wrecked vehicle, picked up stones and flung them at his victim's body. He attacked others nearby, resisted arrest and had to be tasered.

Jeremie Camilleri pleaded guilty to Pelin Kaya's murder. Photo: Facebook

Pelin's death caused widespread shock, prompting vigils in Malta and a show of support for her family. 

'Violent personality'

Madam Justice Consuelo Herrera said Camilleri had a "violent personality" and did not learn from previous convictions that involved suspended jail terms. 

"Not only did he drive onto the victim and kill her but, then threw stones at her. After that, he assaulted others in the area. This is not acceptable in this society," she said.

"This behaviour has to be condemned in the most severe way. The victim was killed while walking on a pavement."

Scerri Herrera said that in these serious circumstances she believes that the punishment should be higher but that she could not jail Camilleri for life because he admitted guilt before the bill of indictment was issued.

She jailed him for 40 years and handed him a €5,000 fine and some €20,000 in court expenses. His car was confiscated and he was permanently banned from holding a driving licence. 

Dressed in a black suit and white shirt and flanked by prison security guards, Camilleri remained calm as his sentence was handed down to him through an English translator.

'We pray he dies in prison'

Pelin's family, her sister Derya, her mother, her uncle, aunts and friends were present for the sentencing hearing. 

Speaking outside court, Derya Kaya said the family was "exhausted".

"Now my prayers and that of my family is that he will die in prison. We will never hug or hold Pelin again, but he will continue to breathe."

Pelin Kaya's mother, in black, is supported by family and friends after the sentencing. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Camilleri initially pleaded not guilty to her murder but changed his plea last month, with defence lawyers telling the court that they had reached an agreement with all parties, including the victim's family. 

On handing down judgment, Scerri Herrera noted that he admitted to the charges and that he was cautioned about the consequences of his plea.

She made reference to the joint application filed by the Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg and the defence lawyers in which they asked for a 37-year jail term and a fine of €2,000.

The judge noted that she was not legally bound to abide by the sentence bargaining and she did not feel that this is a fair punishment.

In light of this, she declared him guilty of all the charges he admitted to and noted that he filed an early guilty plea before the bill of indictment but a year into the compilation of evidence against him.

Relatives of Pelin Kaya outside court before the sentencing of Jeremie Camilleri. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The court previously heard that Pelin and Camilleri were not known to each other and had never met before the attack. 

Camilleri later told the police that he “wanted to be famous” and that he was “a psychopath and proud”. 

Blood tests showed that he was drunk and high on cocaine at the time of the crime. Officers also found cocaine in his vehicle. 

How long will he spend in prison?

Every inmate in prison is automatically entitled to 90 days remission every year on condition of good behaviour. Most inmates get the full 90 days - meaning that for most of them, every year in prison is actually calculated as nine months.

This means that if Camilleri displays good behaviour, he could be out of prison in 30 years.

Prison authorities have the power to add or remove remission days from an inmate's jail time. Remission days are most commonly taken away if the inmate is aggressive, is being disrespectful, in possession of drugs or for any other rule infringement.