One of the three men indicted over the murders of Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski, will be admitting guilt, in return for a 40-year prison sentence, a court was told today.

Jesper Kristiansen was the third man to be accused of the August 2020 shooting in Sliema and was indicted in July 2022.

The two victims had been shot dead at their home in Locker Street, Sliema on 18 August 2020, in what was thought to be a botched burglary.

Pandolfino had been shot five times in his upper body and neck, and died at the scene. His partner, Maciejowski, was killed by a single gunshot to the face.

Daniel Muka from Albania and Viktor Dragomanski from North Macedonia are separately also indicted over the murders. The criminal proceedings against them are expected to continue in March.

On Monday morning, the three men appeared in the dock together before the Criminal Court presided by madam justice Natasha Galea Sciberras, after a new, joint, bill of indictment was issued against them, at the request of the Attorney General.

The court then took judicial notice of a joint note filed by the Attorney General and Kristiansen's lawyers, in which they informed it that a plea deal had been reached.

The note, which was read out in court, said that Kristiansen had agreed to plead guilty to all the charges against him in return for being sentenced to imprisonment for 40 years and the payment of his share of the court costs.

When asked by the court, Kristiansen confirmed that he had agreed to this, and so the court proceeded to separate his case from the proceedings against the other two.

Kristiansen is expected to plead guilty tomorrow week, on which date the court will proceed to sentence him.

Kristiansen will likely be called to testify against the other two defendants, in the reopened compilation proceedings against them.

Lawyer Kevin Valletta represented the Office of the Attorney General in the proceedings against Kristiansen, while lawyers Stefano Filletti and Roberto Montalto are Kristiansen's defence counsel.

Lawyers Joe and Michaela Giglio are representing the families of the victims as parte civile.