Clive Farrugia, 29, of Cospicua, has been jailed for 40 years after admitting to the murder of the mother of his former partner, Maria Theresa Vella, 62.

He fatally stabbed her 10 times on May 8, 2009 at her residence in St Lazarus Street, Cospicua when she rushed into a room to protect her daughter.

Mr Farrugia pleaded guilty instead of undergoing trial by jury.

The court had been given horrific details of the case during the compilation of evidence.

Mary Grace Vella, the victim's daughter and Mr Farrugia's former partner, said that on the day of the incident she was at home in Cospicua when Mr Farrugia turned up to see their son.

She had broken up with Mr Farrugia two weeks previously and was seeing another man. She was 99 per cent sure he was the father of their son even if she had been seeing another man prior to dating the accused.

Mr Farrugia told her he loved her dearly and wanted to get back together but she refused, telling him he was miserly and a workaholic. He said he would change his ways and started to cry, sitting on the bed next to her. When she rejected his advances, he threw up on her leg.

"That is when he made the biggest mistake of his life. He produced a knife and started stabbing me on the legs frantically", she said. She was stabbed 11 times.

As she  started to scream, her mother rushed in and tried to restrain him. He then stabbed her several times.

The accused even started stabbing himself below the chest and it was at that point that her brother appeared on the scene of the crime.

The accused told him: "Kill me. I love her too much". The witness said her brother managed to restrain Mr Farrugia and knock the knife off his hands. She said she went to pick up the knife and stabbed the accused in the back even though her brother was shouting at her to put the knife down.

She then walked into the kitchen, sat down, put the knife on the table, sent an SMS to her new boyfriend and told him to forget her as she thought she was going to die. Paramedics then rushed in.

"As they carried me out of the house on a stretcher I looked at my son and prayed to God I will be able to see him again", she said.

She also said she forgave Mr Farrugia.