Friends, relatives testify in Gozo murder trial

The friend of a Gozitan woman, who was beaten to death in her home, yesterday told jurors how the night before the murder they had gone for a walk together to see the carnival celebrations.

Marie Gwann Xuereb said she had known Elizabeth Cauchi for years and they lived in the same road. The night of the murder Ms Cauchi had gone to her house, they went for a walk together to see the celebrations, then went back to her house for a cup of tea.

After this usual routine, at about 11 p.m., Ms Cauchi went home. "My house was the last place she visited... The next day in the evening I heard what had happened," Ms Xuereb said.

She was testifying before Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono in the trial by jury of Ivan Cauchi, 25, of Xewkija, Gozo, who is pleading not guilty to the murder of his aunt Ms Cauchi on February 24, 2004. He is also pleading not guilty to stealing over Lm1,000 worth of items from his aunt's house.

According to the bill of indictment, drafted by the prosecution, on the night between February 24 and 25, 2004, Mr Cauchi made his way into the house of his aunt who, he knew, trusted him. When she opened the door for Mr Cauchi, he grabbed her by the arm and forced her to tell him where the valuables were. She offered resistance and, as they struggled, he grabbed a hard object and beat her. When she gave in, he tied her up. He then decided to keep beating her brutally and tried to strangle her to ensure she would not be able to recognise him as her aggressor.

Mr Cauchi then searched the house for the valuables and an estimate of over Lm1,000 in cash and other items, were stolen.

Jurors in the trial yesterday heard the testimony of several relatives of Ms Cauchi and the accused.

The brother of the accused Mario Cauchi, his cousin Frankie Cauchi and his uncle Johnny Cauchi, who is Ms Cauchi's brother, explained how on February 25, 2004, they went to look for Ms Cauchi because it was not usual that no one had seen her that morning. They all explained how the three of them, together with the father of the accused, Carmelo, went to Ms Cauchi's house and, when she did not answer to their calls, one of them broke a window to get in. When they walked into the house they saw her lifeless body lying on the floor in the stairwell.

Jurors also heard the evidence of Ms Cauchi's neighbour Bernardette Grima, who explained that on the night of the murder she had heard the sound of a door close then heard someone run on the pavement.

When she looked out of her bedroom window she saw two people running in the direction of Mgarr ix-Xini and carrying two white plastic bags each.

Ms Grima said that she did not remember that the two people were wearing masks but recalled that one of the them had some white hair.

The trial continues this morning.

Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara is prosecuting.

Joseph Mifsud is defence counsel.