Victim's daughter testifies in trail of her mother's alleged killer

The trial of Lawrence Abina, who is accused of murdering Rita Ellul continued on Saturday, as the victim’s daughter took the witness stand to give her emotional testimony. 

Jessica Ellul, one of Rita's daughters, recounted her mother's behaviour prior to the tragic incident. On Saturday, the witness said that her mother had spoken to her about an unsettling incident in July 2020, during her niece's First Holy Communion celebration.

Rita arrived late at the event, appearing worried, which caught Jessica's attention.

Jessica also recalled instances where her mother seemed preoccupied and made unusual decisions, such as taking photos to prove her whereabouts to Lawrence. Rita's behaviour raised suspicions among her daughters, prompting discussions about her well-being.

In November 2020, Rita visited Jessica and told her about her relationship with Lawrence. Rita revealed that Lawrence had left her abruptly, citing frequent arguments and fears of violence. 

The victim had recounted an incident in July where she had left a gathering early because she suspected Lawrence was following her from Gozo to Malta. Additionally, Rita had also revealed that Lawrence had assaulted her in September after returning home drunk.

The witness told the court that she never truly accepted her mother’s partner, and neither did her sisters, but she was reluctant to confront Rita about him. 

During the trial, the jury also heard about an incident of alleged abuse that occurred in September 2020. According to testimony, Ellul's cousin contacted the police to report that Rita was being assaulted by her partner. 

Law enforcement officers responded to the call and upon arrival, the victim informed them that Abina had returned home and proceeded to physically assault her.

The jury heard that when police had arrived, the accused was pretending to sleep before telling them that he slapped his partner after she provoked him. Following the incident, Ellul was evaluated at the Mosta health centre, but she refused to go to Mater Dei Hospital after she was referred there.

After her visit to the health centre, Ellul was escorted to the Birkirkara police station, where she underwent assessment by two social workers. In fact, the social workers also testified in court on Saturday.

They detailed how Rita had told them that she feared for her life, even saying that on one occasion, the accused told her that he would kill her if she didn’t shut up. When she was offered a place to stay, the victim refused.