A 28-year-old Syrian was this morning jailed for 28 years after he pleaded guilty to the murder of co-national Ebdou Ismail Abod whom he struck repeatedly with a mallet three years ago. The murder, following an argument over money, was carried out in Selmun.

Ibrahim Alhmou's trial by jury was due to start today after it was postponed last May. The accused's counsel requested the postponment to await evidence requested from abroad.

In view of Mr Almou's guilty plea this morning, the jury was cancelled.

During the compilation of evidence, Homicide squad inspector Christopher Pullicino had testified that the accused had described how he hit the victim on his head with a mallet. The information tallied with what the police had found on the scene of the crime, the inspector said.

He said the police managed to find the suspect after Carmela Buhagiar, the victim's partner, phoned them to report that Ebdou was missing.

When interrogated, the accused said he had met the victim near the roundabout leading to the university and there he asked him to lend him Lm200 (€466). The victim had already lent him Lm500 (€1,166) on another occasion.

The victim had been found dead by two German tourists who were on their way to the beach. The autopsy revealed he had died of a fractured skull and haemorrhage.

It resulted that the victim had married a Maltese woman but their marriage only lasted a month when she found out he was married and had children in Syria without her knowledge.