'Murdered' Ukranian had gone home to collect clothes and move out, husband claims
A Ukranian who is being charged with the murder of his wife had told the police that he panicked after his wife fell into a shaft and only asked a neighbour to report the accident the following morning.
Testifying in the compilation of evidence against Sergii Nkytiuk, Inspector Keith Arnaud said Mr Nkytiuk, who is pleading not guilty to murdering his wife Liudymyla on November 9, had initially said he had never had any serious arguments with his wife Liudymyla.
However, Mr Nkytiuk’s friend Vitali Pidkypnyi said he had a sexual relationship with Liudymyla and on two days before the incident he was invited to a party at the Nkytiuks’ in St Paul’s Bay.
A drunk Mr Nkytiuk accused him of having an affair with his wife and he left to avoid trouble.
But, Mr Pidkypnyi told the court he received a a call from Liudymyla, which he ignored, followed by a text message asking him to meet her.
He went to meet her and realised that she had a swollen and red right eye and bleeding lips.
Mr Pidkypnyi said the two spent the night together at San Pawl Hotel and the following morning they went to Harley’s Bar where they met two of Liudymyla’s friends. A beating from her husband was briefly mentioned during this meeting. He said this was the last time he saw her alive.
Mr Pidkypnyi said Liudymyla called him in the evening but he did not answer.
On the day of the alleged murder, Liudymyla's friend called at 4 p.m. to tell him that Liudymyla was dead.
Inspector Arnaud said that when he asked Mr Nkytiuk about the party, he said the only argument he had had with his wife was that she was drinking too much. But after questioning the Nkytiuks’ roommate, the police once again confronted Mr Nkytiuk.
When he continued to deny the roommate’s version of events, the police questioned the two together.
Mr Nkytiuk then asked to speak to Inspector Chris Pullicino on his own and gave a different statement.
In this statement he said that Liudymyla did not sleep at home on the night between November 7 and 8 and turned up on the night between November 8 and 9 telling him she was going to take her clothes and move out.
He told her that if she was going into the apartment she had to stay there otherwise she would have to move out without her clothes.
Mr Nkytiuk said she pushed him and ran upstairs. He tried to grab her but she slipped through his hands. Once she was on the top floor, where no one lived and which was in the dark, she ran, did not see the entrance to the shaft, and fell.
He heard her crying in pain, panicked and returned to the flat.
In the morning he asked a neighbour to call the police as his wife had fallen into a shaft.
The case continues.
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Stanley Cassar Darien
Dec 31st 2009, 11:58
I live in a cave with Calypso and I like it, but sometimes I can't go mammoth hunting cause of our roads and it frustrates me.
Wishing everybody a year full of love and tolerance. Rest in Peace Liudymyla. We miss you.
margaret cooke
Dec 31st 2009, 11:08
Good heavens Russians and ukrainians complaining about lovely Malta?Brave Malta, hospitable Malta.How dare anyone who is a guest , and has had the priviledge of living in Malta complain, particularly if you come from such an inhospitable country?They do the same here in the U.K, complain and exploit the system.If you don't like it why not try Siberia?You will have to watch what you say there. Unfortunately I can no longer travel to Malta for my holidays because of ill health, but the wonderful island and its people are etched forever in my memory.
C. Demarco
Dec 31st 2009, 10:20
@Elena Nikolaeva
Dear foreigner,
If you are so unhappy in our country and so happy about yours .. why do you come here?????? We are capable enough to do without any foreigners .. let alone a Ukrainian!!!! I would never leave my island ... irrelevant of what roads we have ..... coz i know there is nothing better than living here!!! And i assume you know it too since you chose our country in which to offer your services ... whatever they might be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pat camilleri
Dec 31st 2009, 08:40
what an extraordinarly show of bad manners. I am not surprised at this foreign woman who complained about Malta and the Maltese.However why don't you leave and provide the service you are providing elsewhere.My daughter lives in London and her cleaning lady is russian or ukrainian and apparently life is so awful there that my daughter's maid sends food parcels to her relatives.So be grateful madam. In your own country you will not be able to comment on the newspaper , as the consequences might be dire. Learn from the Maltese.
Joseph Attard
Dec 31st 2009, 02:00
@Elena Nikolaeva
I do not see why we should create a mountain out of a hill. The case is abouttwohuman beings that have had a fight over a relationship. Nothing else, they could have been from Timbuktu for all I care, so your attitude towards the Maltese who have provided you with a job all these years is quite despicable.
Whilst there are professions where foreigners excel, there are Maltese who excel all over the world on various jobs and professions. On the other hand there are also Foreigners who come here and offer their services . Why should we look at this.......by pointing fingers at each other in 2009. We should be able to live ina cosmopolitan place like Malta, however as stated already...one has to be grateful to the country of residence.
I am sure that if the Maltese in General treated you badly you would have moved away ages ago......inthe meantime i do not know you, so whatever you do in this country i do hope you keep providing the service . We need foreigners and foreigners need us ! lets workhand in hand...and as for the roads , theyre not part of this...let them be
Bill Khan
Dec 30th 2009, 19:03
@jennifer Soames, kindly note that men too suffer violence at the hands of their spouses and partners. Annully 400,000 women in the USA suffer violence at the hands of their male partners.Around 300,000 men also suffer violence at the hands of their female partners. In a UK home office study the ratio of men and women suffering domestic violence is about the same. However women suffer repeated violence whereas few men suffer repeat violence, possibly due to man's retaliation and hence the fear of the consquences. Young, unmarried and disabled men are more prone to attacks by females. There re many attacks on women by estranged husbands and partners on the issues of children, sometimes leading to tragedies pf children being killed also along with parents. (as just two days ago father shot his 4 year old daughter, then his estranged wife and himself). These are all cases of possession, injury to pride or just being spiteful. Selfish capitalism has got us all living on the edge. It is all to with 'possessions'. And where spiritualism is mocked and discouraged there is lot more to come in the way of the tragedies in this so called global village.
Christine Bright
Dec 30th 2009, 16:44
@Elena Nikolaeva
Whilst I do not agree with the extreme points of view of lgalea and Joseph Camilleri, I think you should show more respect towards the country (and its citizens) that has been hosting you for a long time, as you say. If you don't want to stick around, we are not stopping you from leaving Malta.
I have met with Russian girls who want to marry a Maltese to get out of their country and then get an EU passport. In my opinion, that is a half-baked mentality (or better not cooked at all!)
We do get specialists from various countries, not just the East, but we have also good Maltese brains and hands. I worked with people from many nationalities and have seen unprofessional behaviour from Maltese and foreigners alike.
@ C Tanti
Very valid points!
@Joseph Camilleri and lgalea
Foreigners who work here legally have all the right to do so, just like Maltese have the right to work abroad.
Doris Soler
Dec 30th 2009, 16:24
@ Elena Nikolaeva
This poor woman's life was tragically cut short in a brutal way and this is very sad. You KNOW you are bound to attract sharp comments, however, with your nose-in-the-air attitude.
Especially the crack from C Tanti who, quite justifiably, asks you take a look at what kind of 'Job' some Easter Europeans do here .... I don't understand this attitude when clearly Malta is better for you than your own country or you would not BE here in the first place. I remember
being introduced to a fellow countryman of yours and to my comment - Oh, I should have spoken in English, I did not realise you were not Maltese - the rude reply was 'God forbid' and yes, I did let loose at that ! Insufferable arrogance indeed !
C Tanti
Dec 30th 2009, 15:24
@ Elena Nikolaeva
wow indeed.
Many Eastern people do come here (and to other EU countries) and do jobs that few Maltese are willing to do, that's true. But I'd ask around and see what many of those jobs are before sticking your nose in the air and taking such a condescending attitude towards Maltese people. And while you're asking, also ask how valid or genuine many certificates from the East are.
The day that your country (assuming it's Russia or Ukraine) becomes a better place to live in is the day that you'll all pack up and go back... and I don't see that happening in the near future. You know where your bread is buttered but you simply won't bring yourself round to admitting it.
Yes our roads are third world - trust you to know all about that.
Jennifer Soames
Dec 30th 2009, 12:43
There it is - another alleged case of domestic violence. I wrote (several times) about the relatively frequent occurrence of this type of violence by brutish men on women. It just makes me sick to think how many men think they own women and can vent their anger on them.
Elena Nikolaeva
Dec 30th 2009, 12:30
To Joseph Camilleri and lgalea:
Wow.
If it wasn't for us foreigners you'd still be living in caves and walking everywhere, especially if it weren't for specialists who are brought from abroad to do something you have no idea how to do. So spare your crap about how foreigners should not be allowed to work in Malta. And yeah, I do know what I am talking about.
I have been here for a long time and boy do you have a lot of lazy whiny idiots who don't even want to work at all and if they do work they do it in a half-baked way, because they couldn't care less about it. So I think hell will freeze over before every single Maltese citizen will be employed. And if you do employ everyone and hell freezes over, I doubt any foreigner will want to come here anyway, it will probably be worse than Africa. Your roads already are.
CFarrugia
Dec 30th 2009, 11:39
Joseph Camilleri
shame on you, discussing illegal immigration when a poor woman lost her life just cause she wanted to leave her husband
T Farrugia
Dec 30th 2009, 09:57
Whilst it is hard for a husband to except his wife slept with another man, murder is condemnable whether or not they are illegal immigrants. Keep illegal immigration out of this. There are many other news stories and which this can be debated.
Joseph Camilleri
Dec 30th 2009, 09:37
A woman is dead and I'll pray for her to rest in peace. However while feeling sorry for her and the people who cared for her. I am left in dismay when i see a blatant attack on African illegal immigrants whilst all other illegal immigrants are left scot free. And i emphasize Illegal!
@A Ivancenko
I feel that if the illegal immigration problem is curtailed than there won't be any antagonism at other immigrants that are legally in Malta. So this should suit also all Ukranians that are here legally.
@CFarrugia
We should always discuss illegal immigration as one of the largest problems inflicting our society, we should only stop once this problem is resolved or curtailed.
J Oatmon
Dec 30th 2009, 06:59
The important point for me in this story is this guy has allegedly lied to the police, and also apparently beaten up his wife prior just before her death. So everything he says should be assumed to be false, and designed to mislead. The case should be decided on other evidence and not this guy's testimony, because his word is worthless.
Joe Xuereb
Dec 29th 2009, 21:30
A. Ivancenko, readers do not know if the people concerned in this sad incident are working or not, are illegal or not. A female died tragically and we need to find out what happened as a mark of respect and civility at least.
I find it strange that you are pitying comments made by readers but agreeing with them at the same time. You mention globalisation implying the desirability of open borders, maybe Ivan? You think Maltese people have not heard of globalisation and how multi-culturalism can happen seamlessly, overnight, as if by magic?
Quite apart from this case I have noticed that many people come to a sticky end because they are extremely unlucky. The are innocents. Others it seems live life on a tight-rope. Such people often lead risky, disordered life. And sometimes they fall off the rope. It is the price one pays. I may sound cynical. It also happens to be true. I am not talking of this case, please note.
A Ivancenko
Dec 29th 2009, 19:36
@gALEA, CAMILLERI & CO Please don't be so box minded. We are in the year 2010. We are speaking about globalisation. Whilst I agree that we should not accept illegal immigration at ALL, I cannot but pity your comments.
CFarrugia
Dec 29th 2009, 18:00
A woman is dead. I think we should respect that and not discuss illegal immigration for once
lgalea
Dec 29th 2009, 17:32
Joseph Camilleri Totally agree with you. We have thousands of foreigners working legally and illegally while we have thousands of Maltese citizens unemployed. No foreigner should be allowed to work in Malta unless we have every Maltese citizens employed. This applies to all countries who should first see to it that all their workforce is employed before foreigners are allowed to work.
Joseph Camilleri
Dec 29th 2009, 17:07
What are ukranians doing in Malta anyway? It's about time the Maltese government starts to actively tackle the illegal immigration problem once and for all and that does not include solely people departing from Africa, but also people arriving from Ukraine and other countries not within the EU.