The mother and daughter murdered in their Għaxaq home in March had been shot in the head and then hit with a "heavy object" that smashed their skull, the pathologist who carried out the autopsy testified on Monday.
Details of the cause of death of the two alleged victims emerged in court in the ongoing compilation against 38-year old Joseph Bonnici, the man currently accused of murdering his mother and sister.
Pathologist Marie Therese Camilleri Podesta’ who performed the autopsy on both corpses together with Ali Salfraz on March 30, confirmed the report under oath, explaining that in the case of the mother, Maria Lourdes, the cause of death had been a bullet wound to the head.
Her daughter Angele had been killed by two bullets to the head, Dr Camilleri Podesta’ confirmed, stating that two bullet wounds had been found on the victim’s head, with blood seepage on the inside.
Asked to comment about the nature of the injuries observed on both victims, the pathologist said that the trauma was compatible with a heavy object since both of the women’s heads had been “smashed” ("mifqugħin")
Inspector Charlot Casha next presented a report with a DVD containing some 158 digital photos related to the crime.
PC Shaun Micallef, stationed at the Forensic Science Laboratory, presented a report on his findings as scene of crime officer at the Għaxaq field where the two corpses had been discovered on March 30. They had been buried under the soil close to a small room from where samples of soil and a whitish powder, suspected lime, had been lifted.
At the end of Monday’s sitting, the Court, presided over by magistrate Joseph Mifsud, upon a request by Dr Yanika Bugeja, said that it was still waiting for confirmation from the Attorney General to grant authorization to the accused’s girlfriend to access her former home, which she had shared with Mr Bonnici for the past 10 years.
The case continues in July.
Inspectors John Spiteri, Keith Arnaud and Roderick Attard prosecuted.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.