Warden lost a lot of blood after being stabbed five times

The warden was fatally wounded when her main artery was stabbed and severed a principal vein connecting her heart to her brain, doctors Marie Therese Camilleri, Brigitte Ellul and Michael Refalo said, who carried out the autopsy on the victim.

The experts said it was impossible for Spiteri to stay alive in those circumstances after being stabbed in the chest, twice in her stomach, and twice in her elbow. The victim was also injured in her joints and also had bruises on her head.

Ganni Attard, 65, from Xaghra, Gozo – better known as ‘il-Muha’– is being accused of the murder of Spiteri, 49, on 10 August, 2001.

Early this morning, Dr Patrick Sciberras, who was on duty at the Gozo General Hospital emergency and accident department, testified that Spiteri was already dead on arrival at the hospital.

It was a gruesome scene for Sciberras who, having being told that the warden had died in a car accident, found her intestines spilling over when he unbuckled her belt. He even said Spiteri’s vagina had been injured by a pointed instrument.

Guzeppi Farrugia, 72, known as “il-haxxiex”, was also accused of her murder but died before criminal procedures started. Another accused, Benny Attard, 52, was sentenced to 30 years’imprisonment in 2008 after admitting his guilt in the murder.

The court is presided by Judge Michael Mallia. Simon Micallef Stafrace appeared for Ganni Attard, while the prosecution is being led by Lara Lanfranco for the Attorney General.