Kenneth GafáA jilted lover accused of murdering his former girlfriend is back behind bars after being charged with allegedly failing to adhere to a curfew, breaching bail conditions.
Kenneth Gafá, 41, from Qormi, is pleading not guilty to killing Christine Sammut after shooting her in Żebbiegħ at point-blank range on December 11, 2010. Ms Sammut was shot in the neck and chest while she was in the driver’s seat of a van waiting for her new boyfriend.
Yesterday’s arraignment is particularly significant as Mr Gafá had fought hard to get out of prison as bail was continually denied over some eight requests. He remained behind bars for some two years.
Mr Gafá managed to secure bail against a deposit of €14,000 and a personal guarantee of €25,000 but was unable to afford the deposit until he managed to get the money and was released only recently.
Mr Gafá had even taken the issue to the Constitutional Court arguing that his human rights were breached as a consequence of the many refusals because by law, after spending 20 months in custody, release was automatic.
His case was dismissed. In proceedings yesterday, Mr Gafá pleaded not guilty to breaching bail conditions on Sunday evening after failing to adhere to the particular condition that he retires to his home no later than 10pm and could not leave before 6am. Magistrate Audrey Demicoli remanded him in custody.
During the compilation of evidence against him, police inspector Daniel Zammit had testified that Mr Gafá told the police he had been in a relationship with Ms Sammut for 15 months but they had broken up six months before the incident.
He claimed he owed money to her father and other members of her family and they would regularly threaten him. So when he thought he saw her sitting with a family member in the van he decided to shoot.
He had spotted the van while on an errand to pick up some wooden pallets and followed it.
He claimed he was outside his car when he fired the shots but the inspector said CCTV footage showed he was still inside it.