A Zejtun man yesterday pleaded guilty to the murder of a 75-year-old man and the attempted murder of the victim's 71-year-old sister, both his neighbours.

At the beginning of his trial by jury, Silvio Mangion, 38, pleaded guilty to the wilful homicide of Francesco Saverio Cassar and the attempted murder of Giuseppa Cassar in Zejtun on August 16, 1998, at about 4 p.m.

Mangion's lawyer, Joe Mifsud, who was appointed legal aid, and Assistant Attorney General Dr Anthony Barbara, prosecuting, agreed that although Mangion was aware that what he had done was wrong and had to pay for his actions, his mental health condition was to be taken into consideration.

The bill of indictment alleges that Mangion had tried to burgle his neighbours' house but had been spotted by the woman, although she had not realised he meant to rob them.

Mangion, who was unemployed at the time, did not give up on his plan but decided he would have to kill the Cassars so that no one would recognise him.

On August 16, 1998, at about 4 p.m. Mangion swallowed pills and drank whisky to pluck up courage, rang the Cassars' doorbell and surprised Giuseppa Cassar with a knife when she opened the door. He stabbed her in the stomach and in her right arm.

She fought back and called her brother for help. Mangion turned on him too and stabbed him in the chest. The elderly man did not survive the attack.

When Mangion saw the Cassars bleeding on the ground and his T-shirt covered in blood he was frightened and escaped from the scene of the crime.

He dumped his top and knife in a reservoir in President Anton Buttigieg Street.

On November 26, 2002, jurors, in a trial aimed at determining Mangion's mental state at the time of the commission of the crime, had returned a verdict declaring that Mangion was not insane at the time.

During submissions on punishment yesterday, Dr Mifsud referred to reports compiled by three psychiatrists and noted that Mangion had a history of mental illness and was currently under medication.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, presiding over the trial, put the case off to Wednesday for judgement.

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