Entrepreneur Anglu Xuereb, father-in-law of stabbing victim Duncan Zammit, says the families are still "very confused" on the reasons that led to the double homicide in Sliema on New Year's Day.

Speaking to timesofmalta.com on behalf of his family and that of his son-in-law, Mr Xuereb said the families could not understand why Nicholas Gera, the other stabbing victim, had been at Mr Zammit's apartment.

Mr Gera is believed to have broken into Mr Zammit's apartment in High Street Sliema at around 6 a.m. yesterday.

A fight involving knives ensued between the two men in the presence of Mr Zammit's wife, Claire Zammit Xuereb, and their three-month old twins – who were sleeping in another room.

Police seem to have discarded the initial theory that Mr Gera's was a botched robbery and are still trying to establish the link between the intruder and the couple.

However, Mr Xuereb said that police record checks of the victims' mobile phones and e-mails found absolutely no link between Mr Gera and the couple.

Mr Gera was not employed with any of the companies belonging to Mr Xuereb and has no legal issues with the couple, according to Mr Xuereb.

Mrs Zammit Xuereb is the general manager of The Palace Hotel, which is only metres away from the apartment block where the homicides took place.

"To me Duncan was a hero for his family. He defended them from an aggressor," Mr Xuereb said, noting that since the birth of their twins, both parents took parental leave to work from home and spend time with the children.

Mr Xuereb's family and that of his son in law had celebrated the New Year at the apartment where the homicides took place. They left the apartment at around 1 a.m. with Mr Zammit driving his parents back home in Sliema.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120102/local/mother-shocked-by-fatal-stabbing.400748