Colleagues of Pelin Kaya, the Turkish woman murdered on her birthday in Gżira earlier this month, joined her grieving family in court on Monday as the case against her alleged killer began. 

“I miss her voice, she had such a calming voice and I know that everybody misses her so much at work,” her colleague Vincenzo told reporters on Monday. 

Vincenzo worked with Kaya at a Birkirkara furniture store and was among work colleagues to join family members for Monday's court case.

“We want everybody to know we loved her. She was not just a colleague but a true friend," he said. 

Pelin, a 30-year-old interior designer, was walking home after a birthday celebration on January 18, when a car ploughed into her before crashing into a petrol station and a KFC restaurant. 

On Monday, the court heard how she was walking to meet her boyfriend at the time.

The boyfriend came across police and first responders as he went to meet her. He only discovered she had died when he called her, and the phone at the scene of the crime began to ring. 

Members of the Turkish community were also present outside the law courts on Monday and carried banners that read 'Justice delayed is justice denied' and 'It was not an accident. It was a murder'. 

Members of Turkish community outside the law courts on Monday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

'We will never forget her smile'

Vincenzo and fellow colleague Alessandro recounted how Pelin had not shown up for work that day.  

From left to right: Vincenzo, Alessandro and Pelin during a staff event. Photo: Vincenzo

"She usually messages us when she is running late, but we heard nothing from her that morning," they recalled. 

Once they read the news and realised that it was the victim's birthday, they expected the worse. 

"She was always putting herself there to help any of us, she was so kind, and I will miss her so much," Alessandro said. 

"Her energy was so good, she was always smiling, we will never forget that smile," Vincenzo added. 

"She brought love and happiness every time she walked in (to work) in the morning. I was always looking forward to work to spend the day with her. She didn't deserve this."

Her colleagues said Pelin had a lot of dreams and that she had come to Malta to find a better living. 

"Her life is stopped, I see videos of her blowing the candles and I see her dreams in her eyes, and now they have vanished," Vincenzo said. 

Alessandro added: "You never come to terms with the pain, but you just learn to cope with the pain and there is a hole in our hearts that cannot be filled." 

Ahead of the sitting, the Kaya family gathered at the scene of the murder outside a petrol shop and KFC outlet. Her mother travelled to Malta to lay flowers at the scene and attend the court case.