Let the punishment be a warning to others, judge tells wife killer

In a warning to those who think they are free to attack their partners, a judge yesterday jailed Roger Agius for 31 years for the brutal stabbing of his estranged wife on a bus stop two years ago.

Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano said that, although it seemed that the murder was the culmination of anxiety and stress brought on by the couple’s separation, nobody could take the law into their own hands and attack someone, no matter how bad their experiences were.

The judge insisted he wanted to be very clear so that he would be understood by everyone.

Mr Agius, 49, stabbed the mother of his three children, Catherine, 40, with a butcher’s knife in Neolithic Temple Street, Tarxien on July 13, 2009. He then walked to a police station where he made three requests: wash his hands, smoke a cigarette and have a cup of coffee.

The judge said that the motive behind the murder was worrying because it appeared to be linked to an issue over property during the couple’s separation proceedings.

“No matter how big the pressure during separation proceedings nobody can be excused when attacking the other party”, Mr Justice Quintano said.

The judge also highlighted the criminal record racked up by Mr Agius between 1981 and 1996 for various offences for which he was fined, had his driving licence suspended and was placed under probationary orders. He had also been jailed for breaching a probation order.

The judge said that he opted for a severe punishment, almost the maximum allowed by law, because of the gravity of the crime, the element of premeditation, the lack of remorse exhibited by the accused and also so that people would open their eyes and realise what type of punishment awaited those who attacked another.