Noel Azzopardi was not insane at time of New Year's Day shooting of Eric Borg
Jurors rule accused is not fit to stand trial at present
A panel of jurors have ruled that Noel Azzopardi was not insane at the time he shot dead Eric Borg on January 1, 2024.
The verdict, seven to two, was read out by the foreman of the jury on Friday afternoon, bringing the trial (ġurin) on the insanity plea raised by the defence to an end after five days.
However, the jurors ruled that Azzopardi is not fit to stand trial at present, with eight votes to one.
Azzopardi, from Rabat, is accused of shooting Eric Borg on January 1, 2024 in Triq il-Fidloqqom in his home town. Azzopardi turned himself in at the Rabat police station shortly after the shooting.
He is pleading not guilty to wilful homicide, using a firearm to commit a crime, firing a gun within 200 metres of an urban area and not ensuring that his gun and ammunition were kept in a secure place inside his home.
In such trials, jurors are not called to decide on the accused’s guilt or innocence. In this case, the jurors were tasked with deciding whether Azzopardi was insane at the time of the murder. If the insanity ruling is struck down, Azzopardi will then be deemed fit to stand trial for murder.
In September 2024, psychiatrists appointed by the court during the compilation of evidence concluded that Azzopardi was incapable of the criminal intent required to be found guilty, due to serious mental illness and intellectual difficulties. Those findings were contested by the Attorney General, hence the need for the ġurin.
Prior to their deliberation, Mr Justice Neville Camilleri explained to the jurors that their duty is to determine whether Azzopardi was insane or otherwise at the time of the offence.
Mr Justice Neville Camilleri presided over the Criminal Court. AG lawyers Kevin Valletta and Kylie Bonett prosecuted. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Nicole Vassallo are assisting the accused. Lawyers Joe Giglio and Michaela Giglio represented the victim's family.