Woman forgives man accused of stabbing her and killing her mother

A Cospicua woman said today that she had forgiven a former boyfriend who allegedly stabbed her repeatedly and also fatally stabbed her mother.

Mary Grace Vella who was giving evidence in the case against Clive Farrugia, said she had strong faith in God and had therefore forgiven Mr Farrugia and given him access to their son since the incident.

Mr Farrugia stands charged with the murder of Maria Theresa Vella and with having grievously injured Mary Grace. He is also accused of slightly injuring her brother Joseph Vella.

Ms Vella testified that on the day of the incident, on May 8, she was at home in Cospicua when Mr Farrugia turned up to see their son. She had broken up with Mr Farrugia two weeks previously and was seeing another man.

Mr Farrugia told her that he loved her dearly and wanted to get back together. She refused, telling him he was miserly and was a workaholic. He said he would change and started to cry. At one time he sat near her on a bed. When she continued to refuse his advances, he produced a knife and started stabbing her legs. Such was the frenzy of his attack that she was stabbed 11 times. She is still receiving treatment for her injuries.

Ms Vella said her mother heard her screams and rushing in to help and was herself stabbed and fell onto the floor in a pool of blood.

The accused then tried to stab himself in the chest. When her brother came down from his upstairs room, he asked him to kill him, adding that he loved her a lot. The two scuffled and her brother eventually managed to grab hold of the knife and throw it away.

Ms Vella said she dragged herself to the kitchen where she sent an SMS message to her new boyfriend telling him to forget her. She thought she was going to die, Ms Vella told the court.

But as she was carried out of the house on a stretcher she saw her son and prayed to God that she would see him again.

Ms Vella said she had since broken up with her new boyfriend and was now alone. She had strong faith in God and had therefore forgiven Mr Farrugia and given him access to the boy who, she was 99% sure, was his father.

In his evidence, Mr Vella said he had been asleep upstairs when he heard his sister's screams. He rushed downstairs and saw a terrible scene. His mother was on the floor, as was his sister, both in pools of blood. Mr Farrugia rushed towards him and his sister warned him that he had a knife.

Mr Vella, a policeman, said he had to defend himself and managed to pin Mr Farrugia to the ground after throwing away his knife. But he continued to fight on, even when help arrived. He even tried to bite a nurse who tried to assist him.

The case continues.