‘He Totally Lost Control And I’m Scared’: What Bernice Told Her Cousin Before She Was Murdered

In the ongoing investigation of the tragic murder of Bernice Cassar, new details have come to light.

On the night before her death in November last year, Bernice sent a disturbing message to her cousin, Petra Jones.

“He totally lost control and I’m scared,” she wrote, revealing her fear of her husband, Roderick Cassar.

As many will recall, Bernice’s ex-husband, Roderick, has been charged under Malta’s femicide laws, marking the first time such charges have been brought in the country’s legal history. Along with this, he’s accused of holding Bernice against her will, using an illegal gun, and stealing. However, despite the serious charges, Roderick continues to plead not guilty.

As the case moved forward in court this week, Petra Jones gave a heartfelt testimony. She revealed how terrified Bernice was of Roderick, who was continually trying to get in touch with her. Even after Bernice blocked his phone number, Roderick resorted to emailing her and calling her at work.

Earlier reports have highlighted Bernice’s fearful anticipation of the danger from her ex-husband. She had told Petra about her fears and even shared her suspicion that he could harm her.

Bernice had also lodged several complaints about domestic violence with the police, and an arrest warrant for Roderick was planned for the very day of her murder. Additionally, her lawyer had called for police intervention as Roderick had violated a protective order a few days before she was killed.

Petra, under questioning from prosecutor Angele Vella, shared that Bernice had found nearly 30 missed calls from Roderick. This constant harassment paints a disturbing picture of the fear and intimidation Bernice lived under.

In a moving part of her testimony, Petra, a childhood friend of Bernice, recalled a time when her cousin had broken down in tears while talking about the daily torment from her husband. In one terrifying incident, Roderick had threatened Bernice with a knife in front of their kids.

This incident scared her so much that she wet herself, leading Roderick to mockingly say, “Look at what you brought upon yourself.”

Unable to endure the constant fear, Bernice had left their shared home and stayed with her aunt and later with her mother. However, when she returned to pick up their children’s school uniforms, Roderick insisted their daughter stay with him.

Further proceedings in this chilling case are set to resume on 4th July. Roderick is represented by a team of lawyers, while another team represents the victim’s family.

The prosecution team, led by Angele Vella, is being assisted by Police Inspectors Shawn Pawney, Wayne Camilleri, and Paul Camilleri.

What was your reaction to these chilling updates?