A woman charged with murdering her partner repeatedly complained of domestic abuse and even threatened to commit suicide, a court heard on Wednesday.  

Mayumi Santos Patacsil, 44, of the Philippines, stands accused of murdering her partner Marcelino Montalban Saraza on July 1, 2021.

Testifying in court on Wednesday, the woman’s former landlord Roberto Bartolo said he had received complaints about her from other tenants. 

He told the court how other residents in the couple’s Mellieħa apartment block would receive regular messages from Patacsil inquiring as to whether her partner was home or complaining of mistreatment.  

He said there were hundreds of messages in just a few months.  

The court was later informed by the prosecution that the messages had been handed over to IT expert Martin Bajada who had been tasked with compiling a report.  

It got to a point, Bartolo said, where one of the residents blocked Patacsil from being able to send more messages after having had enough.   

Inspector Shawn Pawney, of the police's homicide squad, presented a copy of a police report filed by one of the people Patacsil would message.

In the report, the complainant had said the Filipino had said she was so unhappy in her relationship, so much so that she wanted to kill herself. 

At one point, Patacsil had ended the relationship, however, the two had got back together some time before the murder, the homicide inspector said.   

Saraza, who was also 44, was found lying face down in a pool of blood having suffered stab wounds to his neck and chest. He was discovered covered with a sheet. 

Police were alerted to the murder by Patacsil herself who called police on the night of the incident. She was taken to hospital for medical treatment and was later arrested.  

Pictures show blood splatter on the balcony of the home. Photo: Jonathan Borg.

Woman's injuries compatible with domestic violence 

Earlier during Wednesday’s sitting, the court heard from medical staff that had treated Patacsil on the night of the alleged murder.  

Rebecca Zammit, a doctor working at Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency department said that woman had presented with lacerations on the back of both hands and an abrasion on the back of the left hand.

She also had bruising on the left side of her head and pain in her legs, pelvis, back, and abdomen. 

Medical staff carried out an X-ray but discovered no fractures or internal injuries. 

Zammit said that during examination, Patacsil had said it was her partner who had caused the injuries. 

Gabriel Borg, another doctor that treated her that night, also confirmed that Patacsil had claimed to have been attacked by her partner and that she had claimed to have been the victim of domestic violence.

Lawyer Franco Debono, who appeared for the defence along with Ryan Ellul and Tiziana Micallef, asked whether the injuries sustained by his client were compatible with domestic violence. 

The doctor confirmed that the injuries could indeed have been caused by a violent incident.   

Debono asked the court to ensure that the prosecution prioritised any civilian witnesses as his client would likely not be given bail until these had testified.  

On his part, Lawyer George Camilleri, from the Office of the Attorney General said most of the testimony of the leading civilian witnesses in the case had already been secured in a magisterial inquiry into the murder.   

Presiding magistrate Claire Farrugia Frendo said the next sitting would be held on September 24.