A female lawyer who was brutally murdered on her way home after going out for dinner with colleagues had phoned her children to assure them she would be back soon, jurors were told yesterday.
This piece of evidence was given by Inspector Keith Arnaud on the first day of the trial by jury of Nizar El Gadi, 36, who is accused of murdering his former wife, Margaret Mifsud.
The victim had been found asphyxiated in her car on April 19, 2012 at a remote location in Qalet Marku, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. She had been reported missing some hours before by her mother as she had never made it to her parents’ home, where she was living together with her two children.
Inspector Arnaud yesterday presented detailed call logs of the victim, from which it transpired that her children had tried to reach her as they were missing her.
However, her mobile was off as she had been repeatedly harassed by the accused, whom she had expelled from her parents’ house some three weeks before. He noted that the victim had filed a report that the accused tried to strangle her. Proceedings in this case are still pending.
The victim had been found asphyxiated in her car
The couple had split years before, when their marriage was declared null, but he had been admitted back as she wanted him to remain in touch with their children.
Inspector Arnaud said that on the night of the murder Dr Mifsud had instructed her children to contact her over her friend’s mobile. At about 10pm, she returned a missed call from her children to assure them she would not be long.
Footage from a nearby establishment confirmed she left the place at about 11.20pm. The inspector remarked it was quite rare for her to go out in the evening, but this had been an exception as she was attending a farewell dinner for a colleague at a Xemxija restaurant.
Martin Testaferrata Moroni Viani is defence counsel while Philip Galea Farrugia and Giannella Busuttil from the Attorney General’s Office are leading the prosecution.
The trial, which is being heard before Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, continues this morning.