Car bomb suppliers Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life imprisonment and other penalties for their role in Daphne’s murder on 16th October 2017.

George Degiorgio and Adrian Agius were also sentenced to life for their roles in the 2015 murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop. The four men were found guilty in a trial by jury last week and today, Judge Edwina Grima handed out their sentences.

Daphne’s family said that in their pre-sentencing submission to the court this morning, their lawyers asked for the penalties to reflect the 8-1 verdict – “which (which showed that the jury was morally convinced beyond reasonable doubt of the accused’s guilt” – and for the court to consider the devastating impact of Daphne’s murder on her family and society at large. 

“The car bomb attack that killed Daphne sent shock waves through Maltese society that reverberated around the world. Her assassination created a sense in society that the people behind her murder were sure of their impunity and that the institutions that are duty-bound to protect her and society had failed.”

“To us, Daphne’s death is the loss of an irreplaceable member of our family, but to wider society, Daphne’s murder was the killing of a journalist.”

The family went on to comment on the calls for the reintroduction of capital punishment, saying they want “justice, not revenge”.

“Daphne herself did not support capital punishment, and we share her view.”

The statement closed on a hopeful note, expressing that this sentencing should serve as a clear message that such cases are taken seriously by our institutions, paving the way toward a safer world for journalists.