Sliema double murder trial: Convicted accomplice details botched robbery

Jurors in the murder trial of Chris Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski were given a first-hand explanation of the botched robbery-turned-murder by one of the men involved in the incident

“I heard the man snoring… after the shots were fired.” Those were the chilling words of Jesper Kristiensen, one of the three men involved in a fatal Sliema robbery in July 2020, as he took the witness stand in court to testify against his alleged accomplices.

Kristiensen was originally in Malta for work related to online marketing, and has already admitted his role in the crime and is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence. His testimony now forms a central part of the prosecution’s case against the remaining two accused, Daniel Muka and Viktor Dragomanski, as the court seeks to establish their individual responsibilities in the robbery.

Appearing before Judge Natasha Galea Sciberras in Hall 22, Kristiansen gave a detailed and harrowing account of the events leading up to the killing and the aftermath.

“This was supposed to be a robbery, not a killing”

Kristiansen said he was introduced to Daniel Muka through a mutual acquaintance in July 2020. The two began discussing a possible break-in at a house where Muka believed two men known to wear gold and likely to have cash and valuables lived. 

The initial plan, Kristiansen told jurors, was for Muka to enter the home and "take control of the situation" while Kristiansen remained outside and Dragomanski waited in the car. Kristiansen said that Muka had previously scouted the location.

On the night of the incident, the group drove to the residence in a white Volkswagen, with Muka behind the wheel. Before the robbery, Muka changed the car’s number plate at a parking lot. 

Kristiansen said he remained outside as Muka approached the entrance. “I looked toward the door and saw Muka making contact with a man,” Kristiansen recalled. “Then I heard shouting... and then, ‘pam pam pam pam.’ 

Realising the gravity of the situation, Kristiansen approached the front door. “Muka opened it. I asked, ‘What happened?’ and he said, ‘I had to shoot.’ I told him, ‘What the fuck? This is wrong!”

Then, Kristiansen witnessed Muka aiming his pistol up a staircase and firing again and hearing a person falling on the floor. “That’s when I went back to the car and told Dragomanski, ‘This has gone totally wrong. This isn’t what we agreed on.’”

Despite the gunshots, both Kristiansen and Dragomanski returned to the house’s front door. Kristiansen recounted how Dragomanski asked him, “What do you mean? Were there shots?”

Prosecutors asked why he and Dragomanski re-entered the residence if they knew things had spiraled out of control. Kristiansen replied, “I couldn’t believe what had happened. I had to see it.”

Then he continued and said that once inside, Kristiansen said, “I saw the man lying on the floor... and I heard him snoring.” 

They then saw Muka reappear, now with  gold chains around his wrist and a brown handbag. “He told us, ‘The job is done.’ Dragomanski and I both said, ‘What job? This wasn’t what we agreed on. This was supposed to be a break-in, not a murder.’”

Kristiansen and the others returned to the car and then to the parking lot where the car’s number plate had been swapped. There, Muka changed clothes and abandoned the vehicle.

The group then made their way to Msida where they caught a cab and went back to Sliema. Kristiansen testified that they went to Dragomanski’s home, where he cleaned the gold. Meanwhile, Muka and Dragomanski continued speaking, according to Kristiansen.

Kristiansen said he then went home and within days, learned that Muka had been arrested.

Star witness cross-examined

During cross-examination by Alexander Scerri Herrera appearing for Dragomanski, Kristiansen confirmed that the original plan was devised solely between himself and Daniel Muka. He stated that Dragomanski was involved in the planning process and that his own understanding was that Dragomanski was hesitant and not eager to be involved. While the use of force was discussed as a possibility, this was understood to mean physical force only, with no mention of guns.

Kristiansen also confirmed that he and Muka had previously visited Locker Street in Sliema on two occasions to scout the area, and that Dragomanski had not joined them on those visits. He further explained that Dragomanski had been introduced to Muka through him and was more of a friend to him than to Daniel.

When asked about the moments following the gunshots, Kristiansen admitted he felt “100% panicked” and instinctively went near Dragomanski, someone he trusted. He told Dragomanski that he was in shock, and Dragomanski, unaware of what had occurred, also began to panic. 

Kristiansen added that even after they fled the house, both he and Dragomanski remained shaken, while Muka appeared unfazed, even laughing about the situation. When asked whether Dragomanski had known that people were inside the house, Kristiansen replied that, to his knowledge, Dragomanski believed it would be a straightforward break-in.

Jury shown crime scene photos

The next witness to take the stand was scene of crime officer, Sergeant Michelle Camilleri, who presented a series of crime scene photos in court. One of the first images showed the exterior of the residence where the murder took place. Sergeant Camilleri explained that upon arrival, they had been informed by Inspector Colin Sheldon that a homicide had occurred.

Other photos showed Christian Pandolfino lying in a pool of blood, with traces also visible on nearby walls and furniture. The photographic evidence extended throughout the house and up to the first floor, where the second victim, Ivor Maciejowski, was found. 

Among the evidence presented were images of jewellery and broken pieces of it scattered near Pandolfino’s body, believed to be items targeted during the robbery.