Jury Finds Lawrence Abina Guilty Of Murdering His Partner Rita Ellul In Għajnsielem
Lawrence Abina has been found guilty of strangling his partner Rita Ellul to death in an apartment in Għajnsielem in 2022.
At the end of his trial, jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after deliberating for around four hours.
A judge is now expected to sentence him.
Ellul was found dead in her bed on 26th February 2022 and neighbours had heard shouting from their residence the night before.
Abina, a 32-year-old Ghanian national, had initially called the police, who found her in bed in a “natural” state. A cap of fresh coffee had even been placed on a nearby cabinet, implying that it was a regular morning.
However, Ellul’s face was discoloured and an autopsy found injuries on her neck and chest, leading police to suspect she was strangled to death. Abina was arrested and charged shortly afterwards.
A police inspector told the jury that although he initially denied the charges against him, Abina confessed to killing Ellul during an interrogation. He told police that he was concerned that she might be dating another man, who turned out to be a fictitious person she created to encourage her partner to give him more attention.
He said he had wanted to stop strangling Ellul but feared that he would get sent to prison if she survived the incident and reported him to the police.
Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace acted as Abina’s legal aid counsel during the process, while Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared parte civile for Ellul’s family.
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