Mangion Walker's blood found on gloves in estranged husband's car, court told

Gloves stained with the blood of murder victim Eleanor Mangion Walker were found in her estranged husband's car, together with her mobile phone, a court has been told today.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud from the Criminal Investigation Department testified as part of the compilation of evidence against Andrew Mangion, who stands accused of murdering his wife in July inside a Swieqi garage, dumping her body in a disused warehouse in Qormi.

This morning, Inspector Arnaud exhibited a recording of a 112 call and CCTV footage of ATM transactions carried out by the accused at Ibrag, Swieqi and Mosta between the 2nd July and the morning of the 3rd.

The footage confirmed that the warehouse in Qormi had been opened once and another garage 3 times, once on 2nd July at 5:15pm, then twice on Sunday morning at around 0900 and 1300. On his first visit on Sunday the accused had been accompanied by a Russian man by the name of Kristijan Zekic, the inspector said.

Inside the accused’s Hyundai, two pairs of bloodstained gloves were found under the seat, Arnaud said. The blood was confirmed as belonging to the victim. Another DNA profile, not belonging to the accused was also found on the gloves. The inspector added that the victim’s mobile phone was also found under the driver's seat.

Also inside the van, was a small-calibre bullet, found in the driver side front door pocket. There, police had also found the second key for the victim's brother's Vauxhall that the she had been using temporarily. Both copies of the keys were therefore found in Mangion’s possession, he explained, as the accused had been carrying the first copy at the time of his arrest.

For some reason, Zekic had been in Swieqi on the Saturday 2nd July for about 30 min at 4pm, Arnaud said. The next day, he had been in the company of Andrew Mangion for a considerable period of time of the morning, up till 15 minutes before Mangion entered the warehouse.

Zekic has since been charged with destruction of evidence and is facing separate criminal proceedings.

A black sachet of what is suspected to be cannabis was found in the garage by forensic experts, said the inspector, together with a number of other empty sachets “normally used in drug trafficking.”

On 25th August he had been informed about a laptop belonging to the accused that had been repaired repaired some months ago but not collected. The device was also exhibited as evidence for a court-appointed expert to examine.

Accused denies new charges

Inspector Keith Arnaud, who together with Inspector Kylie Borg is prosecuting Andrew Mangion for murder, informed magistrate Doreen Clarke this afternoon that he would be pressing further charges.

The new charges relate to having knowingly suppressed or otherwise destroyed the traces of a crime that carries a punishment of over 1 years imprisonment and with knowingly concealing the body of a murder victim. Mangion was further charged with having, in the months preceding that date, been in possession of cannabis grass. Mangion pleaded not guilty to the new charges.

Victim's sister testifies to accused's stormy marriage

Beverly Walker, sister of murder victim Eleanor Mangion Walker testified that her sister and her husband had been through a very rough patch some 5 years ago but that the relationship had improved in the 2 years preceding the murder.

On the 2nd July, the witness told the court, she had gone grocery shopping. On her return she had bumped into the accused, who hadn't offered to help her with the bags as he normally would. “I thought maybe he was having a bad day, but the thing is I never used to talk to Andrew anyway.”

Cross-examining the witness, Inspector Keith Arnaud asked about the relationship between the accused and the witness' sister. “About 5 years ago they used to have really big arguments. My sister didn't usually open up much. They didn't really used to get along, but their last 2 years were much better...I don't know if it is because of their daughter, but there were not as many arguments.”

The accused had told the witness, some 4 years ago, of his suspicions that his estranged wife had been having an affair. “He would tell everyone... my mother, my brother..”

“He asked if I knew my sister's email password. I had given him a password but I don't know if it worked...Later he tried to show me some emails and tried to talk to me about their sex life but I wasn't comfortable.”

She told the court that the victim had been in a relationship with Martin Grech 2 years ago and later with Rikky Pace. “Andrew knew about Martin. He would pick the daughter up from Martin's parents' house in Lija.” The witness said she was “very good friends “ with Grech, claiming that Grech was also a friend of police inspector Pierguido Saliba who previously used to work with the police CID.

Walker said that her sister had approached her 2 years ago to tell her that the accused had been dealing “a brown substance” from a garage in Sliema and would take the daughter with him on occasion. Her brother had also seen people “coming and going to and from the house.” “I had gone to speak to Saliba, but nothing had come of it.”

The woman said she had always had a suspicion that the accused's drug dealing hadn't stopped, although he claimed he had.

The witness said the victim had told her that the accused had been getting angry over little things and would occasionally be violent.

But under cross-examination by defence lawyer Joe Giglio, however, the allegations began to appear increasingly threadbare.

The lawyer pointed out that proceedings for care and custody of the child had begun 2 years ago, coincidentally around the same time that her sister had allegedly told her about the supposed drug-dealing.

Had she personally seen any drugs, he asked. She admitted that she hadn't and neither had she seen persons coming and going from the house. Nor had the accused ever been prosecuted for drug-related offences, she admitted. She had, however, seen the accused scold the couple's child on one occasion, 3 years ago. “I saw it for myself. He smacked her in the face.” The incident had not repeated itself in the years to follow, she confirmed, however.

The court also heard the testimony of Swieqi resident Anna Maria Bajada today, who tesitified that she lived next door to a garage used by Mangion. She described the accused as “a good friend of the family,” adding that their children would play together. “He would always help us with our boat.”

On the 2nd July he had dropped off his daughter at her house for a playdate. He was alone, the witness said.

“He had already told me that he wasn’t sure he would be able to make it to join us on the boat because he needed to transport some pallets. That morning, he texted me to say he was unable to make it but asked me to go and take the girl anyway. He drove her to our house on the Sunday morning.” He had mentioned the pallets on the Sunday before, as he had been helping his grandmother with some works, she said. “At around midday we returned home. At 1:30 pm we went for the boat at Salina.”

Afterwards, the accused had gone to collect the child. He was alone, smartly dressed in a polo shirt and Bermudas, Bajada recalled. “I told him the child hadn’t showered. He said not to worry, that he needed to go to the field and would return.” That had been the first time he had said anything about going to the field, she said.

Lawyer Joe Giglio cross-examined the witness. He asked whether the accused had called up the victim at some point in the week preceding the murder, to ask whether the girl could go on the boat. “Oh yes. He called her in front of me.” While unable to recall the exact words he had used, she insisted that he had definitely used his mobile phone.

The victim was “not very close to us. She would just drop the child off most times. I know the daughter to be with Andrew all the time.”

Bajada's husband also took the stand to say he had spoken to Mangion about the boat trip because he was grateful for the accused's help in putting the boat in the water.

“Before waiting for Andrew I had gone shopping and on my way back I had spoken to the Russian.” The accused had joined his Russian friend in sweeping the interior of the van, which, he said had been outside in a parking bay. “I look out of my widow a lot,” explained the witness.

“I saw the Russian and felt sorry for him so I offered to give him a drink but he said he was all right. 20 minutes later I returned and he was still cleaning the van. It had its cargo door and passenger open.”

Nothing bulky was visible in the back of the van, he said.

He remembered asking the accused whether he would be joining them that afternoon. “He told me he was busy... I was a bit upset. “

Bajada said he had tried to call Mangion again as they were on the way to the boat. “Andrew said he couldn't make it. We told him that his daughter was with us so he wouldn't worry.”

He hadn't asked what was wrong, he said. “I've known Andrew for 3 years. I know his character. If he doesn't want to talk he cuts it short.”

Andrew had previously brought him chlorine to clean a family grave, he said, adding that the accused had obtained the chemical from someone whose pool he would clean as part of his handyman business.

The compilation of evidence continues in two weeks' time.

 Inspectors Keith Arnaud and Kylie Borg are prosecuting. Lawyer Joe Giglio is defence counsel. Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha are appearing parte civile for the family of the deceased.