A man who murdered a taxi driver in a "barbaric" attack while he was out on bail for attempting to stab another man to death has been jailed for 42 years.

Eliott Paul Busuttil, 40, killed Mario Farrugia in an "animalistic" stabbing, inflicting 45 injuries, a judge told a court. His previous victim, Emil Maranov, who survived the attack "had his head opened up like a book", Madame Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera said. 

Last month Busuttil, from Attard admitted to murdering Farrugia, a 62-year-old taxi driver who was found dead in the trunk of his car in Qormi valley in April 2022, as well as the attempted murder of a second man, Emil Marinov.

Murder victim, Mario Farrugia. Photo: Police

At the time of the murder, Busuttil was out on bail for the attempted murder of the Bulgarian, who was found in Ta’ Qali in August 2020, after also being stabbed multiple times. Marinov had spoken to Times of Malta about his ordeal in 2022.

During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the judge noted that there was a sentence bargaining agreement between the Attorney General and the defence for a 35-year jail term after Busuttil pleaded guilty and was told about the legal consequences to his guilty plea.

The judge noted she was not legally bound by the sentence bargaining if she felt this was not fair.

Mario Farrugia's body was found in the trunk of a car. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

In this case, Busuttil tried to kill an innocent man and then managed to kill another, she said. He had learnt nothing from his previous convictions.

"The murder of Mario Farrugia was barbaric as, after he killed him, he hid the body in the boot of a car until he was found," she said.

"An innocent man went to buy a stereo and ended up badly injured. Emil, the attempted murder victim, had his head opened up like a book.

"The court can not accept this animalistic behavior and the court has to protect society from such cold-blooded people who are ready do to this for €100 euro."

She jailed Busuttil for 42 years and not life imprisonment due to his guilty plea. He also has to pay €70,000 in court expenses in two years. 

At a previous sitting, Farrugia’s brother had told the court how days before his disappearance, the victim had voiced concern about two particular clients who underpaid him.

Farrugia was trying to offload them, telling his brother that he believed that the pair were “involved in drugs”.

Emil Marinov was viciously attacked. Photo: Karl Andrew Micallef