Kalkara murder | Suspect’s bail revoked, judge says ‘society should be protected’

An appeals’ court has revoked the bail of Kalkara murder suspect Gregorio Scicluna and ordered that he be re-arrested, after a judge ruled that he cannot be trusted and that “society should be protected from such a character.”

Gregorio Scicluna, 50, of Kalkara, who is also known as ‘Il-Goodie’, is standing charged with murdering his former father-in-law Joseph Caruana in October last year, trying to murder his estranged wife Maria Simone Caruana, 27, their two daughters, aged five and three years old.

On Monday, Scicluna was granted bail against a deposit of €30,000 and a personal guarantee of €30,000 – a decision which was strongly objected to by the police as well as the Attorney General.

In its appeal, the Attorney General, represented by lawyer Philip Galea Farrugia, insisted that Scicluna’s bail should be revoked because the accused had been found guilty of several serious and violent crimes, and that there was a clear danger of relapsing.

Upholding the Attorney General’s plea, presiding Judge Michael Mallia revoked Scicluna’s bail and ordered that he be re-arrested due to the “seriousness of the crime.”

Moreover, the judge held that given the accused’s “lengthy criminal record” and the fear of relapsing, “society should be protected from such a character.”

Echoing the judgment, the Attorney General also argued that even if Scicluna were to adhere to the bail conditions, his estranged wife and her children would be “terrorised by the thought that the accused might be nearby.”

According to forensic experts, Scicluna first shot Joseph Caruana in the back while in the presence of Caruana’s wife and children. The victim is said to have been shot after an argument had erupted between the accused and his former partner.

After having shot the victim, Scicluna is then alleged to have struck the deceased’s head with the butt of his shotgun while he was on the ground with such force that the weapon broke. Joseph Caruana suffered a fractured skull and a severed spinal cord and died at the scene.

In September, Scicluna had been granted bail, however this was subsequently annulled due to a procedural error by the criminal court.

Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha are defence counsel, while Lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell is parte civile. Inspectors Keith Arnaud, Stephen Pullicino and Robert Said Sarreo prosecuted.

Lawyer Philip Galea Farrugia appeared for the Attorney General’s office.