Ghaxaq man charged with mother’s and sister’s brutal murder, pleads not guilty

A man has been charged in court with murdering his mother Marija Lourdes Bonnici and his sister Angele Bonnici on Tuesday.

Joseph Bonnici, 38, from Ghaxaq, was arraigned in court before duty magistrate Rachel Montebello on Sunday evening, charged with the voluntary homicide of Marija Lourdes Bonnici and Angele Bonnici.

Bonnici, who appeared in court wearing a tracksuit, was also accused of using a firearm against another person, shooting a gun in a residential area, filing a false police report, attempting to hide evidence of the crime, hiding the corpses of people who were murdered in the crime, carrying a firearm without the necessary licence, manufacturing a gun silencer, and manufacturing a firearm and ammunition without the required licence.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.

The prosecution told the court that, on Wednesday, it had started investigating a missing person report in connection with the two women. It was Joseph Bonnici himself who filed the report.

Inconsistencies and contradictions in the accused’s version of events started emerging, which led the police to start suspecting that Marija Lourdes and Angele were deceased.

Subsequently, Joseph Bonnici was arrested, and he went on to admit to the police that he had killed his mother and sister.

The court explained to the bespeckled Bonnici, who appeared calm and subdued throughout the sitting, the consequences of the charges against him, and advised him that the accusation of wilful homicide carried a life sentence.

The accused was remanded in custody.

Inspectors Keith Arnaud, John Spiteri and Roderick Attard prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared as defence counsel for the accused.

Marija Lourdes, 70, and Angele, 29 were found shot and partially buried in a field on the outskirts of Gudja following a police search on Friday night.

Both women had last been seen at 7am on the 26 March at their home in Triq Santa Marija, Ghaxaq, and were reported missing on Wednesday afternoon.

A family member is reported to have provided the police with information, leading to the discovery of the bodies.

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The murder is not the first instance of violent crime in the Bonnici family. Maria Lourdes’ husband, Paul had been jailed for 31 years in 2005 after being found guilty of shooting and killing his neighbours Joseph and Carmela Dalli.

The man had regularly argued with his neighbours and, on May 2000, shot the couple outside their home.

During the trial, the court was informed that Paul Bonnici had reloaded his gun and shot the two in the head at point-blank range.

The police had gone to the next-door house, where Bonnici was found waiting with a shotgun containing two spent cartridges.