Two men, including the father of three-month-old twins, died yesterday morning after suffering multiple stab wounds in a Sliema penthouse with the police last night still trying to establish what happened exactly.
The dead are Duncan Zammit, 32, and Nicholas Gera, 26, of Sliema.
The police believe Mr Zammit, entrepreneur Anġlu Xuereb’s son-in-law, and Mr Gera were involved in a violent struggle in Mr Zammit’s penthouse in Falcon House, High Street, Sliema some time before 7 a.m., when the police were informed about the incident.
It is thought the fight started inside the bedroom and the two men then moved to the kitchen where one of the men got hold of a knife and used it to stab the other.
It is not clear whether more than one knife was used.
The fight was over within minutes, preliminary investigations indicate, with both men sustaining multiple stab wounds and losing a lot of blood.
Mrs Zammit Xuereb and her twins, Millie and Jack, who were sleeping in another room, were uninjured.
She called for help but her husband and Mr Gera died by the time the ambulance arrived.
Residents in the same apartment block said the couple had organised a private party in their penthouse to usher in the New Year. The penthouse is situated just metres from The Palace Hotel, which Mrs Zammit Xuereb runs.
Initial reports pointed to a botched robbery and an accomplice on the run. However, further investigations indicated no accomplice, though the police are looking for a Ford Ka, believed to belong to Mr Gera.
Investigators are also trying to find out whether the men knew each other.
Police officers spoke to all the residents of the block and others went to Blanche Huber Street – a few streets away – where Mr Gera resided.
A resident in a neighbouring block in Falcon House said he woke up to the sound of Mr Zammit’s mother screaming at about 8 a.m. “It’s a terrible tragedy. He was a really lovely person who died trying to protect his family. It’s a horrible way to start the New Year,” he said.
The tragic news quickly spread among Sliema residents many of whom walked to High Street with shocked looks on their faces. “They were such a nice couple. How could it have happened to them,” one elderly man said.
As news of Mr Zammit’s death reached Facebook, people expressed shock and horror at the tragedy and tributes and condolences poured in on his profile, with many people praising him for protecting his family, calling him a hero.
Assistant Police Commissioner Pierre Calleja, who heads the criminal investigations department, and Assistant Police Commissioner Ray Zammit, who is in charge of the Sliema district, were on site as was Police Superintendent Silvio Valletta.
The autopsy on both bodies is expected to take place today.