An appeals court has refused to show clemency to a man accused of having planted a bomb which killed an innocent passer-by in Żejtun in 2005, instead confirming his life sentence.

Ronnie Azzopardi had been found guilty of murder in 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of one woman and the maiming of another when he remotely detonated a bomb he had planted against a car.

The case stemmed from a dispute Azzopardi had with the partner of his late brother, who had been murdered in 2001. Azzopardi was unhappy that his brother had left him out of his will, leaving all of his inheritance to his partner and children.

Azzopardi had built a powerful bomb containing a kilogram of explosive material contained inside a small fire extinguisher together with bullets to increase its lethality.

The court heard how he placed a bag containing the bomb against the woman's parked car in Żejtun while she visited her mother. 

The home-made bomb had a remotely operated trigger based on a radio receiver used in remote control cars.

A neighbour, Theresa Grima, had been watching Azzopardi place the package from her roof and had went down to move the bag to a nearby construction site, thinking it contained rubbish. She was helped by another woman, Angela Bondin, because the bag was heavy.

While the women were speaking to each other the bomb exploded, killing Bondin and seriously injuring Grima.

The Court of Criminal Appeals in its superior jurisdiction threw out Azzopardi’s claim to have been in Cospicua, noted that CCTV showed him driving in the area at the time. It also dismissed his claim that the witnesses had been inconsistent.

The court, expressing its disgust at the man’s crimes, upheld the life sentence imposed by the first court in view of the gravity of Ellul’s actions.

Assistant Attorney General Philip Galea Farrugia prosecuted. Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett was legal aid counsel to the accused.