Santo Cassar

Since the Malta Police Force was founded in its present form in 1814, a total of 19 police officers have died while on duty – two inspectors, two sergeants and 15 constables. One of the constables was PC 201, Santo Cassar.

Cassar suffered grievous injuries after being hit by a gun shot while on duty on Saturday, August 1, 1914, at 11.45pm in the main square of Żebbuġ, Gozo. He died later at Victoria Hospital, which today is the Ministry for Gozo. Cassar is the only police officer in Gozo who has died after being severely injured by a gunshot while on duty.

He was born on November 24, 1867, in Valletta. His parents were Giuseppe and Maria née Callus. His father was from Żejtun and his mother from Valletta. He married in Gozo and resided in St Ursola Street, Victoria.

On August 1, he was on duty at Żebbuġ, Gozo. There are different versions as to who was supposed to be duty on that day, whether it should have been Cassar himself, PC Salvatore Saliba or PC Francis Gatt. There is the possibility that Cassar took over from Gatt.

It is said that Gatt was sitting on the steps of the main village cross. He was with other residents and dressed in civilian clothes. Saliba was more involved in other duties such as investigations, than being stationed in a police station. In fact, he was among those sent to search two houses in Għarb the day after the crime.

At 11.40pm, Cassar was speaking to Antonio Cini, a shopkeeper who lived 25 metres away from the police station and Cassar told him that he was going to close the police station at midnight. Later, as Cini was opening the door to his house, he heard the shot of a gun. When he looked back, he saw Cassar lying on the ground.

Ta’ Ċikku deep path.

Small holes on the base of the main cross in Żebbuġ square, Gozo, are said to have been made by pellets fired from the shotgun that also killed Cassar.

The gun had been fired by an unknown person from a point on the left side of the square facing the church, which leads to a deep path known as Ta’ Ċikku. Cassar was brought to the police station and placed on a mattress. He was helped by several civilians including Cini himself.

Inspectors Vincenzo Theuma and Carmelo Gauci, with the help of PS P. Cassar, PC L. Camilleri and PC A. Spiteri, began their investigations.

Magistrate G. Cremona was duly informed of the incident and proceeded to take his deposition on oath at 12.45am, with Cassar claiming that “he was on good terms with everybody and suspects no one”.

Cassar was attended by Dr Tomaso Cauchi and Dr Nikola Tabone. At about 3.30am, they ordered that he be taken to Victoria Hospital where he passed away at 4.50am at the age of 47.

According to the documents found at Gozo General Hospital, he was assisted by the hospital chaplain and received the last rites. It was confirmed that the cause of death was due to intrathorasic haemorrhage and oedema of the glottis.

It is not known why Cassar was left lying on a mattress in the police station for three hours and 45 minutes before being taken to the hospital. The deposition on oath had already been taken an hour after the shooting and the police were well prepared and at the scene of the crime at a time when there were no cars and the means of transport was primitive.

The gun had been fired by an unknown person from a point on the left side of the square facing the church, which leads to a deep path known as Ta’ Ċikku

It is interesting to note that Victoria Hospital did not have a casualty facility as is the case today. Although no documents were found regarding the management of the hospital when this tragic incident happened it was noted that 60 years ago the door to the hospital used to be closed during the night.

Casualty service was only provided during the day from a wing called Dressing. The Dressing consisted of two rooms used for basic needs, including patient visits, similar to today’s outpatients. If there was any need to be admitted to hospital during the night, which was very uncommon at the time, the patient or relative had to ring a bell and the hospital porter would open.

An inquest on the spot was carried out on August 2, at 5pm where traces of pellets were found in a prickly pear tree. The tree stood on the other side of the square from where the firearm was discharged, in line with the main village cross.

One of the two tombs at the Gozo cathedral where lay people, including Santo Cassar, were buried.

His funeral was held in the afternoon on the same day of his death, at Gozo cathedral in Victoria. He was buried at the cathedral.

By order of Inspector Carmel Gauci, searches were carried at 5am on August 2. The searches were conducted by PS A. Fenech, PC G. Axiaq, PC G. Cauchi and PC S. Saliba in the houses of Joshua’ Micallef, 24, and of Carmelo Debrincat, 32, both from Għarb.

A single-barrel gun was seized from the first house, and from the latter, a double-barreled gun, a bullet and two wallets containing pellets were taken for further inspection.

On August 16, Micallef – one of the suspects – was walking in Trux Street in Għarb at 11.15pm. He was walking in the middle in company of his wife Giorgia, 23, and of Giuseppe Cauchi, 22, when an unknown person shot him with a firearm. His injuries were grievous and life-threatening – as certified by Dr Tabone – and he passed away tragically a few minutes later.

Magistrate Dr G. Cremona was duly informed and held an inquest on the spot at 11.50pm.

It is interesting that today no relatives of Cassar can be traced. A murder affects the genealogical tree of a family, which in the case of Cassar was halted abruptly.

At the time of Cassar’s death, his father was still alive but his mother was dead. On the other hand, the other two policemen – Saliba and Gatt – had many children and grandchildren.

Extract from Santo Cassar’ final statement.

A hundred years since this tragic event, it is fitting that Cassar should be remembered by a commemorative plaque erected at the location where the episode took place. The plaque should include Cassar’s historic statement: “I am on good terms with everybody and suspect no one.”

His memory should also be honoured with Gieħ ir-Repubblika, as in the case of PC Roger Debattista’s.

In absence of his family members, this honour should be kept at the Żebbug local council or the Victoria police station.