Heirs of Zebbiegh murder victim demand €11,500 refund from killer

The heirs of a woman murdered in 2010 have filed a civil suit against her killer, asking the court to order he refund €11,500 which had been loaned to the accused to get him back on his feet.

42-year-old Kenneth Gafà, who is currently awaiting a trial by jury for the 2010 murder of Christina Sammut in Żebbiegħ, is also facing criminal proceedings for defrauding Sammut’s father Lino, who died in August 2012, of the money.

Sammut and his daughter had filed a police report in June 2010, shortly before her murder.

During the criminal proceedings against Gafà, Lino Sammut’s son James had testified that the defendant had cut all ties with Sammut upon receiving the money.

Gafà, however, is claiming that the money was actually a gift, not a loan.

He said Lino Sammut had given him €6,000 to assist him in purchasing a rabbit farm in Magħtab but had told him not to bring the matter up with his children.

Gafà said that he was the only one who was taking care of Sammut, who was suffering from cancer at the time and that the money was a gift.

The deal to buy the rabbit farm fell through however, as its owner had received EU funds and was prevented from selling off the farm for a period time, however Gafa’ is claiming that Sammut insisted he keep the money.

Gafa told the court that after his relationship with Christina Sammut had ended, he had moved to Germany, but claimed that while he was there Christina’s brothers would harass him on the telephone and threaten him that they would harm his family.

He asserted that Christina Sammut had also called him expressing the desire to reconcile with him. “I had low self-esteem, and I went back,” he said.

He claimed that upon returning to Malta, the Sammut family coerced him into signing a contract before a notary. He said that he had no choice but to sign.

Gafà also claimed to have left €6,000 in cash in his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and that he had never tried to recover them nor did he intend to.

Asked by his lawyer Joe Ellis why the contract was for €11,800, and not the €6,000 he claims to have been given, the defendant said that James Sammut had decided to add interest to the initial sum and that he was due to start making repayments in January 2011. “But I was arrested in December and spent three years in preventive custody,” explained Gafà.