[WATCH] Nicolette Ghirxi was stabbed in her Birkirkara flat, aggressor shot dead by police

Update at 1:30pm with further details from crime conference

Murder victim Nicolette Ghirxi had reported the man suspected of her murder to the police over emailed insults in April but refused a risk assessment, the police said.

Ghirxi, 48, was found dead in her Birkirkara apartment in the early hours of Monday and the man suspected of killing her, Edward William Johnston, 50, from Ireland was later shot by the police in St Julian's. The woman lived in a top floor apartment in Triq Maestro Giuzeppi Busuttil in the Swatar area of Birkirkara.

Victim Nicolette Ghirxi

Police Commissioner Angelo  Gafá told reporters on Monday that Ghirxi had been in a relationship with the man that had ended.  Gafá said the woman’s last contact with the police was last Thursday when she reported her suspicion that Johnston could be in Malta.

However, the Commissioner said at no point did the police, or the victim, receive a threat of violence.

During the crime conference held at police headquarters, Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud gave a timeline of the murder, explaining that the police had received the first report at 11:50pm.

“Our indications were that the victim was already dead at that time,” Arnaud told reporters. An autopsy on both the victim and the aggressor that will establish the causes of death is yet to be carried out, he said.

Aggressor tried rushing at police

The area where police had a standoff with Edward Johnston (Photo: Kurt Sansone/MaltaToday)

Johnston was shot dead by the police after attempting to rush officers after a long standoff. The weapon he had been carrying was found to be a replica. Pressed on whether he knew how many shots had been fired,  Gafá said he did not have this information at this stage as the weapons had been taken into evidence by the inquiry. But Arnaud told reporters that from paramedics’ initial assessment of the body “it appears that he was definitely hit by at least three shots.” Two knives, thought to be the murder weapon were recovered from the murder scene, added the Assistant Commissioner.

 Gafá confirmed that officers had been wearing bodycams which were switched on at the time and appealed for restraint when speculating about motives. He thanked all those who took part in the operation.

The initial reconstruction suggests that after murdering Ghirxi the man headed to the Hilton Hotel in St Julian’s with sources telling MaltaToday he threatened hotel staff.

A forensic officer is seen carrying out investigations at the building where the murder was carried out (Photo: Kurt Sansone/MaltaToday)

The police said Johnston was subsequently located at a beach in St Julian’s behind the Hilton Hotel following a police manhunt. He had been pointing what appeared to be a weapon at his head at all times,  Gafá said.

RIU officers and, later, a police negotiating team engaged in dialogue with the man, while other police officers went to the victim’s apartment in Birkirkara. After breaking down the door, they found the victim lying face up on the floor. She had been knifed to death, he said, and two knives were found near the body.

Back in St Julian’s the police negotiations continued with Johnston, who was still holding a gun to his head.  Gafá explained that at a point he had lowered the weapon and, after being warned, he attempted to rush a police officer and was shot dead.

The firearm turned out to be a replica.

Email insults

Giving background to the crime, the Commissioner said that the man and the victim had been in a relationship in the past but which had ended. The victim had reported threats on 22 April and had been invited to undergo risk assessment with Appogg, but she refused as it had only involved insults.

Two other reports about emails and messages received from Johnston had been filed by the victim that month. Another report was filed in May, her last before she contacted the police last Thursday telling them that she suspected that he was back in Malta.

 Gafá stressed that domestic violence cases are now prosecuted by the police ex officio, independent of complaint, but there had not been any prior threats of violence.

“Never, and at no time did the police, or the victim for that matter, receive a threat of violence [in this case].”

Forensics officers at the site of the murder in Birkirkara (Photo: Kurt Sansone/MaltaToday)

Police said there was a “strong suspicion” that Johnston had killed Ghirxi.

Investigators were still trying to establish how he had got inside the woman’s residence as there were no signs of forced entry - in fact the police had to force their way in.

Experts assisting in the inquiry were still establishing whether there was also a substance abuse aspect to the crime.

Asked why the man needed to be shot three times,  Gafá pointed towards the ongoing inquiry adding that to suggest that the police had used excessive force at this stage would be “very imprudent.” The police were conducting an internal review as per the police’s Use of Firearms Policy,  Gafá said, adding that it is a review carried out independently from the magisterial inquiry.

Earlier, the woman's relatives gathered outside her apartment comforted by police officers. Forensic police were inside combing the flat for evidence. The Civil Protection Department was called in to assist as Ghirxi's lifeless body was lifted down from the fourth-floor balcony to a waiting police hearse. An autopsy will be carried out.