A woman today gave a harrowing account of how two men tried to burn her alive in her car earlier this month.

Michelle Camilleri was giving evidence in the case against Alvin Pullicino, 26, who is charged with attempted murder and attempted arson, and his cousin, Gavin Spagnol, 21, who is charged with complicity.

The case took place in Zabbar on 12 July.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, presiding over the case, heard how the incident was the culmination of a long standing family feud between the two Zabbar families. Pullicino is father to the victim’s sister’s daughter.

A visibly distraught Camilleri said she had returned from a day’s work and was heading to the playground together with her husband and their children.

Between sobs she said they stopped outside their house and her husband and the younger son went inside.

While she was waiting in the car Spagnol drove past with Pullicino as passenger. The second man allegedly took out a petrol can and starting splashing the flammable liquid all over her car, while yelling “Are you afraid of me now?”

Moments later he opened her car door and started pouring the liquid over her. Her 10-year-old son managed to flee.

Camilleri said she kept asking Pullicino why he was doing this to her. At the same time he was trying to set her on fire with a lighter but the thing kept slipping from his wet fingers.

The woman then managed to run to her front garden, with the accused chasing after her. Pullicino was holding a chain, which he pressed against her neck.

Her husband, Jean Paul Camilleri, said he had witnessed the attack as he rushed outside after hearing shouting. He said Pullicino had made repeated attempts to set his wife on fire and was shouting “I’ll kill you! I won't give up before I kill one of you!”

The court heard that there was a long history of incidents involving the families and that Pullicino had recently been told by a police inspector that these repeated incidents could not be tolerated.

At one point the Magistrate rebuked PUllicino after the accused sniggered and made head gestures.

At the end of the sitting defence lawyer Franco Debono made a request for bail, pointing out that the main witness had now testified.

The prosecution, however, pointed out that numerous reports had been filed by the two families who lived in the same locality. “The accused evidently does not care about the warnings given to him,” Inspector Christabelle Chectuti said. 

The prosecution also noted that the 10-year old boy was still traumatized and kept asking his mother if the accused would be coming for them again.

 

Bail was denied.