Baħrija Murder Suspect Said He Felt Sorry For Dog But Would Have Shot Relatives Too
The man accused of July’s double murder in Baħrija told police he felt sorry for one of the victim’s dogs but admitted he would have shot any relatives who showed up at the scene, a police inspector testified in court, Times of Malta reported.
72-year-old Karmenu (Carmelo) Ciantar, known as Id-Durga, stands accused of fatally shooting Dennis Mifsud, 51, and Anthony Agius, 57, on 29th July and He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Police inspector Wayne Camilleri told the court that Ciantar was arrested in the Pama parking lot, where he allegedly told officers he had planned to shoot himself after eating at KFC.
The murder weapon, a loaded shotgun, was found on the back seat of his car.
Camilleri said Ciantar told police he had argued that morning with his partner Agnes Mifsud, Dennis’s mother, over a plot of land she owned but had allowed him to use.
He later spent the morning at the field before shooting both victims at close range later that day.
Post-mortem results confirmed that both men were shot from a short distance, with Mifsud struck in the face and Agius shot three times, including once in the head.
Ciantar reportedly told police he covered Agius’s body with a sheet because he felt sorry for his dog, before setting a shed on fire so that “no one could enjoy the tools and machinery” he had bought.
When asked what he would have done if other relatives had turned up, Ciantar replied that he would have “probably shot them too.”
A forensic expert testified that 67 gunshot residue particles were found on Ciantar, 22 of which were characteristic, calling it “strong evidence” that he had fired the shots.
Ciantar, who renewed his shotgun licence in 2025, remains in custody as the case continues in November.
Magistrate Astrid May Grima presided.
Attorney General lawyers Anthony Vella and Kaylie Bonett prosecuted assisted by police inspectors Kurt Colombo Zahra and Wayne Camilleri.
Lawyers Franco Debono, Francesca Zarb, Adreana Zammit and Anthea Bonnici Zammit appeared for the accused.
Lawyers Mario and Nicholas Mifsud appeared for the Agius family.
Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi, Jacob Magri and David Chetcuti Dimech appeared for Mifsud’s family.