The daughter of a woman murdered in Gozo last month told court on Tuesday her mother had confided in her that the man now accused of killing her had previously hit her in a drunken rage.

Jessica Ellul recalled how in November 2020 - over a year before the murder - her mother had told her that her partner Lawrence Abina would assault her upon his return home.

"He once left home abruptly and when I confronted him about it, he basically said it was better that way otherwise he would end up beating my mother. As far as I know, they had never reconciled. She never wanted to move to Gozo and he never wanted to come to Malta," Ellul recalled. 

She was testifying in a sitting of the compilation of evidence against Abina, a 30-year-old from Ghana who stands charged with the murder of 49-year-old Ellul on February 26. Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech presided over the sitting. 

Ellul was found dead inside an Għajnsielem apartment in Triq Dun Frangisk Mizzi. 

Abina is pleading not guilty to the charges brought against him. In a previous sitting, it had emerged that the accused had confessed to the police to strangling her because he thought she was cheating on him. 

The court also heard from the first responder on the scene of the crime, nurse Francel Sultana, who said Ellul was found in a "neutral position", similar to that of someone who is asleep. 

She said she recognised the accused as someone who was at the house when she arrived there, and who had told them Ellul said she was unwell. He had claimed that when he went to check on her, she was dead. It was at this point that he called for assistance.

'Dead for some hours'

Another witness, Carmel Camilleri, a doctor from the Emergency Department, said he was informed of the murder by colleagues who had found the victim dead. He confirmed the person who called for assistance was still on site.

Camilleri said Ellul had been dead for some hours. He told the court Abina also showed him some pills which were on the bedside table.

Another witness, Abina's employer, said he was present when Inspector Kurt Zahra spoke to the victim's daughters. The daughters informed the police that Abina would turn violent when he drank and there were also instances when he would stalk their mother.

The couple appeared to have also had an argument on Friday evening, the night before she was found dead. 

'Victim often at the apartment'

The court also heard testimony from Abina's roommate, Amankwah Tafutor, who said he has lived in the Għajnsielem apartment where Ellul was found dead for the past eight years. He knew Ellul through Abina and although the victim did not live with the men, she was often at the apartment, he said. 

Tafutor also confirmed Ellul had not been to the apartment in the three months leading up to the death. 

On the day before the murder, he went home to find Abina, Ellul and her friend Joyce. The witness said Ellul had been teasing Abina while he cooked for the group. 

Joyce left the apartment sometime later and Abina and Ellul left sometime after. The witness then met Abina the next morning while he was having breakfast.

While he did see Abina return to his room, he did not know whether Ellul was also there. He later received a call from the accused, who told him Ellul was dead. 

Tafutor said he never knew of problems between the couple although he had once heard them having a verbal argument. 

Another witness, constable Ryan Farrugia, said that while escorting Abina to Mater Dei for a DNA test, he heard Assistant Commissioner Sandro Gatt ask the suspect how he felt about Ellul's death.

To this, Abina replied he felt sorry about what happened and that he had grabbed her by the neck. At that point, he also started crying after dropping to his knees. 

Ellul and Abina charged in 2020

Meanwhile, another witness, sergeant Kevin Grima said that while on duty at the Birkirkara police station in September 2020, a call had come in about Ellul requiring assistance. Her cousin had made the call. 

When the police arrived on the scene, Ellul had told them she was in a relationship with Abina and that he had gone out with her cousin and upon his return, he started hitting her on the head. On that day, the police found Abina in bed pretending to sleep. He told police Ellul had repeatedly provoked him and that was why he had hit her. 

Abina said Ellul had retaliated and hit him back and that was when he hit her on the head. At the time the social services had been called in but Ellul insisted she wanted to return home.

Following the incident, both Abina and Ellul had been charged.  

The compilation of evidence continues on April 29. 

Lawyer Joseph Grech represented the accused.

Lawyers Anthony Vella and Nathanial Falzon from the attorney general's office and inspectors Kurt Zahra, Josef Gauci and Wayne Camilleri prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri, who are both also lawyers, appeared parte civile on behalf of the victim's family.