Jailed for six years over conspiracy in woman's murder

A man was yesterday jailed for six years after jurors found him guilty of conspiring to murder a woman who was later found dead on Valentine's Day 2004.

The presiding judge, Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, noted that it had been Carmel Vella, 33, from San Ġwann himself who had revealed all the details of the plan to murder the woman together with another man, Josef Grech. He had done so during the magisterial inquiry and, had he not given such details, the police would not have charged him.

He had thus incriminated himself but also helped the police take action against Mr Grech, who faced similar charges as Mr Vella. Mr Grech also stood charged with wilful homicide, the judge said.

Jurors returned after five hours of deliberation finding Mr Vella guilty of conspiring to murder Patricia Attard, 55, by eight votes to one.

On Monday, the court heard how Mr Vella and Mr Grech had lured Ms Attard to L-Aħrax in Mellieħa in January 2004 so they could then push her off a cliff. The plan fell through when the woman refused to go near the edge.

Mr Vella was offered €23,000 if the woman died.

She was found shot dead in her mini-van at Ta' Qali two months later, on Valentine's Day.

In submissions on punishment, defence lawyer Roberto Montalto asked the court to give the minimum punishment because his client had spontaneously given all the information to the police and would still help police during proceedings against others.

Lawyer Lara Lanfranco, from the Attorney General's Office, said that, although the crime was very serious, the prosecution in the circumstances was not against the court imposing the minimum punishment.

Mr Justice Galea Debono said that, although the crime was serious, one should take into consideration the fact that Mr Vella had incriminated himself, when he had no reason to do so because he was not being investigated at the time. He also helped the police.

After jailing Mr Vella for six years, Mr Justice Galea Debono said that, since he had committed the crime during the operative period of a two year suspended sentence, the judgment would be sent to the Magistrates' Court to decide whether the jail term should come into effect.