A police board tasked with investigating officers' conduct has found no indication that the police could have done something within their powers that could have saved Nicolette Ghirxi's life.

“It does not appear that the police failed to take measures within the scope of their powers” to prevent the murder of the woman at the hands of her ex partner, the Independent Police Complaints Board has concluded.

Ghirxi was murdered by her former partner Edward Johnston late at night on August 11. She had complained to police about being harassed by Johnston, who had a history of violent standoffs with British police. 

Her body was found in her apartment in Swatar hours after the murder. Johnston was shot dead by the police after a three-hour standoff in St Julian’s a few hours later, at 3am.

The police board’s conclusions were published by the Home Affairs Ministry on Wednesday.  

The board was led by Judge Geoffrey Valenzia. It was tasked with scrutinising the implementation of the recommendations that emerged from an inquiry that followed the murder of Bernice Cassar - an inquiry also led by Judge Valenzia. 

The board also analysed the operations of the police force related to domestic violence and gender-based violence, as well as the enforcement of relevant laws and existing standard operating procedures.

In its report, the Police Complaints Board noted that “the pattern in the Ghirxi case is not similar to the [Bernice] Cassar case” because the latter “displayed many red flags” unlike the former, although the outcome of both was the same.

Ghirxi's murder is also subject to other inquiries.

More to follow.