The Cospicua woman who died after a domestic argument turned sour last Friday was stabbed five times, while her daughter suffered 28 knife wounds in an incident police are treating as a crime of passion.
Sixty-one-year-old Marie Therese Vella died in St Lazarus Street after she was allegedly stabbed by the father of her grandson. Police sources said 24-year-old Clive Farrugia went to the Vella residence brandishing a military knife after Ms Vella's 25-year-old daughter, Mary Grace, informed him that their relationship was over.
He is then alleged to have attacked the two women while his two-year-old son was looking on.
On hearing the commotion, Marie Therese Vella's 35-year-old son, Joseph Vella, who is a Special Assignment Group police sergeant and was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, rushed down to the blood-spattered living room.
After a scuffle in which he was injured, Sgt Vella managed to disarm Mr Farrugia and restrained him after throwing a series of punches. He then handcuffed the alleged aggressor.
Despite several attempts to save her, including the use of a shock machine supplied by paramedics, Marie Therese Vella died in hospital soon after the incident.
The sources said Marie Therese Vella, known to neighbours as Mari, was stabbed five times - three in the back, one in the face and another in the arm.
The autopsy, carried out yesterday morning, established that the wounds to the back had penetrated vital organs, including the liver and kidneys. The daughter had a total of 28 stab wounds, some of them superficial. The most serious were to her face, breasts, stomach and arms.
Mr Farrugia sustained serious head injuries, including a cheekbone fracture. He also suffered a number of slash wounds.
Mary Grace Vella and Mr Farrugia are at the Intensive Therapy Unit at Mater Dei Hospital. Although they are still critical, their condition was yesterday described as stable. Both are still unconscious and have therefore not yet been questioned by police. The police returned to the scene yesterday to continue their investigation where they found a "petrified" dog owned by the Vellas. It is now being looked after by relatives.
Duty Magistrate Silvio Meli, who carried out an on-site inquiry last Friday, issued a care order for the two-year-old boy.
The police sources said that Sgt Vella, who was questioned in connection with the case, was not arrested as police believe he acted in self-defence and in defence of his mother and sister. No action is expected to be taken against him.
Police superintendents Silvio Valletta and Carmelo Bartolo and inspectors Daniel Zammit and Fabian Fleri are heading the investigation.
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com