The verdict on the man and woman and their son who are being tried by jury for the murder of 18-year-old Rachel Bowdler is expected today.

Carmel Decelis, 57, his estranged wife Concetta, also 57, and their 29-year-old son Jason, are charged with the murder of Miss Bowdler on 13 May 2001 after, it is claimed, they did not call for help as the girl fought for her life for around 12 hours in Mrs Decelis’ flat in St Paul’s Bay.

According to the bill of indictment issued against the three accused, it is claimed that the family of three moved Miss Bowdler’s body after she had died in the flat, driving to the outskirts of Mgarr and dumping her body in a field there. Miss Bowdler’s body was discovered by a farmer.

The trial by jury, which began on Monday, has entered its final stages, with presiding judge Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono expected to make his final submission to the jurors before they retire to deliberate.

Although in their statements to the police, the three said that they had called the emergency number to inform the authorities about Miss Bowdler, the court heard that no calls had been received at St Luke’s Hospital emergency department or the police and that the only call received about the girl’s body came from the farmer who found her.

The court was told that Miss Bowdler died of a heroin overdose. The court heard that she arrived at Ms Decelis’ flat in St Paul’s Bay at around 8pm on 12 May 2001 and later on that evening she lost consciousness on the sofa in the sitting room.

Jurors heard that Ms Bowdler was having difficulty breathing and was frothing at the mouth. Her condition worsened during the night and in the early hours of 13 May she stopped breathing. This was when the decision to remove Miss Bowdler’s body from the flat was taken and it was taken to a field in Mgarr.

Testifying in court in their defence, Mr and Mr Decelis said that they had tried their best to help Miss Bowdler and that they had had no intention of killing her or putting her life in danger.

In his final submissions to the jurors, Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara said it was the three members of the Decelis family who took the decision not to call for a doctor or ambulance and to dump her in a field.

“If they were so convinced that they did not do anything wrong, then why did they decide to move the body and dump her where no one would find her?” he asked. Dr Barbara said they were egoists and had put their interests before those of Ms Bowdler who, at that stage, could not do anything expect put her life in their hands. He said that had they taken her to hospital, she would have been given an antidote and would have probably survived the overdose.

The three defence lawyers representing the accused insisted that their clients were simply victims of the unfortunate circumstances in which Ms Bowdler was involved. The accused certainly had not intended to kill the young girl and, said the lawyers, had done all they could to help her.

The jurors are expected to retire to deliberate this morning and will be expected to reach their verdict later on today.

Dr Chris Soler and Dr Chris Cardona are appearing for Mr Decelis, Dr Malcolm Mifsud for Mrs Decelis and Dr Martin Fenech for Jason Decelis.