Claudia Calleja
Dad deserved more... at least 100 years – son
The three children of Catherine Agius, who was stabbed to death by her husband with a butcher’s knife, believe that their father should have been imprisoned for life because he robbed them of their mother.
“Our father stopped existing when he killed our mother ...I think jailing him for 31 years was too little ... I don’t want him to ever leave jail and I don’t want to see him. I don’t believe he was really sorry ...I just want to add, I love my mother,” said the youngest daughter, who is 13.
Her 14-year-old sister agreed, saying: “We loved our mummy a lot and he could not have hurt us more than he did. He could have been given a harsher punishment . . . He deserved it.”
The girls’ elder brother, who is 15, shared the same sentiment: “I think that, for what he did, he deserved more... At least 100 years... I never want to speak to him.”
The three siblings lost their mother on July 13, 2009, when she was stabbed by their father, Roger Agius, on a bus stop in Tarxien as she returned home from work at about 6 p.m. Mr Agius, 49, pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife and was yesterday jailed for 31 years. He faced a maximum of life imprisonment.
Mr Agius took the witness stand on Monday and told the court he was sorry for his actions and never meant to murder his wife. He said he pleading guilty to spare his children from further suffering.
Mr Agius said that at the time he was under a lot of pressure because he believed his wife was having an affair and wanted to take all his property during their separation proceedings.
Speaking after sentence was passed, the three children – who preferred not to be named – said they did not really believe their father was sorry.
“I think he didn’t want to take us to court so we don’t taint his reputation,” the youngest said.
The three teenagers recalled how their mother was a gentle person who smiled all the time and went out of her way to make them happy. She deprived herself of many things to ensure they had all they needed.
The victim’s elder sister agreed with her nephew and nieces that Mr Agius deserved a harsher punishment.
She and her sister were very close and always together. “Not only did I lose my sister but also my best friend,” she said.
She said her family always cautioned her sister about her relationship with Mr Agius.
“He played with her feelings and realised how forgiving she was. When she fell for his charm and started loving him, he started to show his true colours . . . He managed to manipulate her and assure her he would change and she believed him . . .
“We even argued with her about him...But she was convinced he would change. The Sunday before he killed her she took the children to Mass to pray for their father to change his ways,” she said, adding that Mr Agius had hit her sister before.
She said she was angry to hear him claim that her sister had had an affair.
That was not true and her sister barely left the house.
“It was not easy for her to ask for a separation. She cried but said she had no choice because he was ruining her life and that of the children who were growing up,” she said.
The sister recalled how the situation escalated when Mr Agius realised he was not going to get any property in the separation settlement. Since he did not work and could not pay maintenance due to his drinking problem, a lawyer suggested that, instead, he renounce his half of the matrimonial home. This made him very angry.
Thinking back to the day of the murder, she recalled that she was returning home from work when the horrific news reached her. The news was harsh on all the family but especially the children.
“She was their mother and he was their father, so they lost both . . . They often say no one can replace their mother . . . A few months ago the boy went to France with his school. As he packed and was told to have fun he said his happiness ended the day his mother died . . . No matter how much we try, we will never fill that void in their life,” their aunt said.
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22 Comments
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G Cauchi
Feb 4th, 17:24
I know these girls personally and I can say they live their life as normal girls, and they rarely talk about what happened. But I have to agree with them, losing a mother is indeed hard.
Joe Xuereb
Jan 11th, 22:14
May I speak directly to the children of this family. My thoughts are with you. Quite rightly you are angry and hurting but you are young and your life is ahead of you. Do not use too much energy hating your father who is being punished for what he did to you. Please do not allow this evil, but in the end, sad man influence your life forever. As you get older and wiser, you will learn to see things differently. Do your best at school as your mother would have wanted. One word of advice; if you find the anger and confusion too much to bear speak to friends and relatives by all means. But keep in mind that people tend to emphasise your pain by agreeing with you and this just piles on the pain. Much better to go to your doctor who should refer you to Social Services for proper advice and support. Or you can refer yourselves to Social Services. Getting help is your right don't forget. I wish you all the best dear children.
@Karol Paul De Bono. Prayers are all well and good for whom they work. But at some point (as in as quickly as possible) one has to deal with practicalities.
@S.M.Cuschieri, having read your comment about concern for the children who might read these comments, are you sure you are really concerned. Do not get me wrong, please, and I am sure you mean well. But.......you could not have been more graphic if you tried.
I am afraid I have to say that from MY point of view, hundreds of prayers and thousands of 'jaħasras' will not do much. Let's get real and do something practical. Like not writing insensitive comments. As I said, I am sure you mean well, but.......
Sandra Degiorgio
Jan 11th, 21:13
Yes I have an opinion too all the way from Australia. Catherine my cousin you are free at last from the drunken abuse that he inflicted on you for too long. He left you there like an animal to die. His only concern at that point was he knew "... I'm in trouble now, best I get myself to a cop station so I get a lighter sentence". That is what happened, and he had no consideration for his 3 children, who were also traumatized throughout their lives from their father's drunken abuse. God rest your soul, I like the rest of the family will never forget the loving , caring human being that you were, that most certainly didn't deserve an ending like this. Roger, the golden words of life, "what goes around, comes around", jail is the greater punishment, you will have, too much time on your hands now - time, tick, tock, that will be torture enough, thank you judge for a good sentence, let's make sure he doesn't get out in 19 years on Parole, he committed a hideous crime.
Sandra Degiorgio
Jan 11th, 20:43
He was drunk and my cousin put up with enough consequences. The children are left without a mother and never had a good father figure. This wouldn't have happened if I lived in Malta he wouldn't have had a chance to take her life. I hope you don't get out in 19 years you deserve at least 31 years and to die in jail for this atrocious act. R.I.P our dear Catherine he can't hurt you now.
mark borg
Jan 11th, 19:18
Lil dan is suppost missier kont inwahhlu 31 sena ghal 4 darbiet . 31 sena tal- hajja li ha ta martu u 31 sena ghal kull wild li kellhu li gharqilhom hajjithom .Taghhom u tal povra Nanna taghhom li qeda trabijhom ! Jhekk ma hemx infern nispera li jivintaw wiehed ghalih.
sonya abela
Jan 11th, 14:59
31 years are not enough for a man that killed his wife waiting for her with a knife , the intention was to kill her . is this justice its not fair he will serve only 19 years now cause 8 months is a year in prison . and the kids they have lost everythin they have lost the FAMILY they had once , its not fair if i was the judge i would send him in jail where he belongs for eternity ..... catherine is my cousin and we miss her so much ... sonya
Karol Paul De Bono
Jan 11th, 12:39
Please, does anyone realize that these children could be reading these comments? In moments like this, one should simply stop speculating and remain silent. For those who believe, maybe a little prayer helps more than a thousand comments!
S.M. Cuschieri
Jan 11th, 13:05
Well Said Mr. De Bono. It is a heartbreaking story and it is fairly obvious that these children are still traumatised by what happened and they can never be totally happy. Unlike the twins in the New years day murder, they were old enough to understand, the poor mites, and only god knows what they saw at home. What with their father coming home drunk and gambling away every penny. Jahasra jahasra. Domestic abuse wreaks havoc on children, let alone knowing their father murdered their mother. May god give these chidren the strength they deserve and I just pray to God, that they can lead decent lives. As to the victim, miskina if only she knew that people like her husband, with three of the worst vices imaginable, never change. They only get worse. But I understand totally. These women are blind and when there are children involved they do their best to keep the family together. But sadly that is not the answer. The only way out is to leave and if possible place a restriction on him, although this woman , miskina was already estranged.
VV Bartolo
Jan 11th, 10:51
mhiniex fiz-zarbuna ta' dawn it-3 angli u God forbid li xi darba nkun imma meta qrajt dan l-artiklu, between the lines qrajt;
i) li 3 it-tfal qed jitilghu f'ambjent oddjuz lejn missierhom. mhux ahjar inhalluhom fil-paci u ma nimlewhomx iktar fuq il-kaz? ghadhom zghar! halluhom ha jistudjaw u jedukaw ruhhom umbaghad meta jiehdu l-istat taghhom jiffurmawa huma l-opinjoni taghhom fuq dak li gara!.
ii) il-missier zbalja fuq li zbalja imma x'waslu li jaghmel hekk? x'genn ghadda min go mohhu biex ghamel gennata bhal dik?? li mhux talli tilef lil martu imma wkoll l-imhabba ta' wliedu!
"Mulej ahfrilna ghax ma nafux x'ahna naghmlu!"
Pauline Abela
Jan 11th, 11:28
Kif tista possibilment tkun f'sensiek u tikteb dak li ktibt?
1. Dawn it-tfal hadd mhu qed jghid li qed jitilghu f'ambjent oddjuz lejn missierhom, hliefek. Kieku missierek jabbuza ix-xorb u joqtol lil ommok, kif tahseb li thossok? Trid tkun genju biex tirrejalizza li hajtek saret mizerja minhabba l-abbuzi tieghu?
2. X' wasslu li jaghmel hekk? Il-fatt li mid dehra fl-opinjoni tieghu hu l-ewwel, it-tieni u jekk fadal xi-haga ghanda tkun ghalih ukoll. Hu kien jixrob - mhux il-mara. Hadd ma poggilu la l-flixkun u l-anqas is-sikkina f'idejh. Jigifieri ma tridx tkun gharek biex tiddeciedi li t-TORT HU TIEGHU.
IEQAH milli twahhal fil-vittma u wahhal f'min johloq il-problemi.
VV Bartolo
Jan 11th, 11:49
@pauline abela:
min wahhal fil-vittma?? ghidli f'liema parti jien wahhalt fil-vittma??
kull ma ridt inwassal jien biex nippruvaw, ghalkemm nista nimmagina li difficli hafna u trid hafna zmien, biex nhallu lil ulied fil-kwiet forsi ghada pitghada jaslu biex jahfru lil missierhom ta' ghemilu! forsi mhux hekk tghallimna r-Religjon Nisranija ms abela?
N Mifsud
Jan 11th, 12:13
Int bis serjeta? Dan ir-ragel qatel u rrilevanti x genn kellu f mohhu (quoting you) dan nehha hajja ta persuna bhali u bhalek u omm. Dawn it-tfal taf x naf li mmaturaw qabel iz-zmien u flok ikunu foloz u jghidu li lill-missierom xorta jhobbuh, ghax kieku jien l-istess nahsibha u certa li binti l-istess tahsibha. L-omm tibqa l-omm u jekk bniedem johodlok l-ommok hadlek kollox. Dan ir-ragel IVA haqqu aktar imma jekk johrog ta' 80 forsi jkun patta talli ha hajja ta' persuna u kisser it-tfulija u hajjet t tfal. Ghaldaqstant jiddispjacini imma nemmen li l argument tieghek huwa bla ebda sens.
Mrs Marthese Formosa
Jan 11th, 12:46
VV Bartolo ma tahsibx li b'dal kumment tista twegga in nies?? ma tridx tkun gharef biex tkun taf x'kellu f'mohhu...egoizmu, biex ma jpaxxix il mara qatilha.. tahseb li xi hadd li jkun qatel l'ommok , cahhdek mil imhabba taghha u ma giex f'mohhu it tbatilha li ha jbatu dawn it tfal ghal hajjithom kollha, haqqu l'mhabba ta l'uliedu???
VV Bartolo
Jan 11th, 12:56
jekk bil-kummenti tieghi weggajt is-sentimenti ta' xi whud, nitlob apologija. ZGUR li ma kellhiex din f'mohhi meta kkumentajt! f'mohhi kellhi biss il-MAHFRA! skuzawni
John Micallef
Jan 11th, 10:42
The Law works in strange ways.
Had the convicted murderer pleaded not guilty and was found guilty by a Jury, he could have probably got a longer sentence.
Don't forget, he might be out before the 31 years are over.
B Attard
Jan 11th, 10:33
How sad for these children at the time they mostly need their parents.
J. Camilleri
Jan 11th, 10:08
Nispera li dan il "looser" ma japellax mis-sentanza! Kiku ikun hekk u jien inkun magistart mhux inaqaslu xi sena imma inziedlu xi ghaxar snin ohra jew omor habz.
C Muscat
Jan 11th, 09:42
Qalbi maghsura ghalihom. Jalla l-Mulej isabbarhom u jaghtihom dak li d-dinja ma taghtomx. Kelma biss nista' nghid; keep it up u taqtghux qalbkom. Nixtieq naghti ukoll kelma ta inkurragiment lil min qed jiehu hsiebhom.
A. Schembri
Jan 11th, 10:01
Ma stajtx espremejt is-sentimenti ahjar. Naqbel mieghek mija fil mija. J'Alla jsibu sahha fxulxien.
Kuragg fi zmien difficli hafna.
S. Zammit
Jan 11th, 09:34
My Heart goes out to these three teenagers. May God give whoever is taking care of them the strength and wisdom to bring them up. Good luck and take courage.
Carmel Garcia
Jan 11th, 09:22
May God give them strenght.
M Vella***
Jan 11th, 09:22
Such a sad story.