Reserve juror fined after secret tablet use during Caruana Galizia murder trial

A reserve juror in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder trial has been disqualified and fined €1,000 after being found in contempt of court for secretly using a tablet and sending messages to his son about the ongoing case.

The unnamed juror, one of six reserves selected for the trial of Robert and Adrian Agius (known as Ta’ Maksar), Jamie Vella, and George Degiorgio, was caught with the device on Wednesday evening. His actions were discovered after his wife contacted court officials, saying she did not want to be involved in any wrongdoing and revealed her husband was trying to communicate with her.

Court-appointed IT expert Martin Bajada told Judge Edwina Grima on Friday that the juror had used the tablet to conduct more than 3,000 internet searches between 24-30 April 24. Among the content accessed were news sites reporting on the case as well as a student guide to jury duty.

In one Facebook Messenger exchange, the juror told his son that the jury concerned “two homicides of certain importance” and instructed him not to tell anyone, except his mother, that he had brought the tablet into court lodgings. He also asked his son to check the news and handle household chores, including cleaning the backyard and watering plants.

Jurors and reserve jurors are strictly prohibited from using electronic devices or communicating with family except in the presence of court staff, in order to preserve the integrity of the trial. Reserve jurors do not participate in deliberations unless a regular juror is unable to continue.

Deputy registrar Joyce Agius testified that the juror admitted possession of the tablet and voluntarily showed court officials where he had hidden it.

Bajada confirmed that no comments were posted on news articles or social media platforms and noted that while four messages referenced the jury, there was still no direct evidence of discussions about trial content beyond what has already been disclosed.

The juror had also used the device to track a gift he had ordered during the trial period. Bajada said the man accessed “other sites” but did not deem them relevant to the court.

Despite the breach, defence lawyers said they would not request the jury's dissolution but asked for additional safeguards to ensure the fairness of proceedings. The trial was temporarily suspended and resumed on Friday morning.