Appeals court confirms murder conviction on mother, son

The Criminal Court of Appeal today confirmed a judgement where a mother and son were sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison for the murder of an 18-year-old girl who was suffering from an overdose at the time of her death.

Jason Decelis together with his mother Concetta had been found guilty of murdering Rachel Bowdler, whose body was found near Mġarr on May 13, 2001.

The three members of the Decelis family had faced trial by jury in 2006 where Jason Decelis was found guilty of murder and jailed for 25 years, his mother Concetta was also found guilty of murder and jailed for 15 years and her husband Carmel was found guilty of involuntary homicide and jailed for one and a half years.

The Criminal Court of Appeal presided over by Mr Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, Mr Justice David Scicluna and Mr Justice Joseph Micallef said in their judgment that there was no doubt that their punishment was well within the legal parameters.

The court said that after reviewing all the evidence it was clear that there was nothing “wrong in principle or manifestly excessive” in the judgment handed down by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono.

The court added that Jason Decelis had received such a sentence because his criminal record was described as colourful and his mother’s sentence was considerably less because the jury had asked for clemency.

The court concluded that this was a particularly malicious case, where a young girl had lost her life because the Decelis family had not done the most basic and elementary thing to do when with some one in need-and that is call for help. The court subsequently condemned their actions and confirmed the previous judgment.