Jeremie Camilleri has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Pelin Kaya on 18 January 2023.
Camilleri was sentenced after pleading guilty last month to the wilful homicide of Kaya and to 13 other charges that he was facing, which included grievously injuring a second woman, slightly injuring a man, dangerous and reckless driving, driving under the influence, and violently resisting arrest.
Besides the 40-year prison sentence, Camilleri was ordered to pay a fine of €5,000 and also pay over €20,000 for the costs of appointing court experts as part of the case.
He was permanently banned from holding a driving licence and has the car he drove in the murder confiscated.
Kaya’s family members were in the courtroom and could be seen crying and hugging each other as Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera handed down her sentence.
After Camilleri changed his plea to one of admitting guilt, the Attorney General and his defence had requested a sentence of 37 years imprisonment and a fine of €2,000 together with bearing the costs of the case – however a Judge is not legally bound to stick to the terms of a plea agreement when handing down a sentence.
In her sentence, the Judge noted that Camilleri had pleaded guilty over a year into the compilation of evidence phase thereby negating any request for a reduced sentence in view of an early admission.
The Judge observed that Camilleri has a dangerous character, with his several previous convictions a testament to this and that it was his “barbarian attitude” had led to Kaya’s death. This led her to the conclusion that she could not accept the joint sentencing submissions.
The prison sentence was increased to 40 years, with the Judge observing that she could not impose a life sentence because the bill of indictment had not been issued in this case.
The 34-year-old killed Kaya, a Turkish national, by running her over with his BMW as she walked on a pavement in Gzira late at night. He then got out of the car and started throwing rocks at her and at passers-by.
The incident was captured on CCTV cameras in the area.
It was Kaya’s 30th birthday on the day of her murder, and she was on her way to meet her boyfriend after celebrating her birthday with friends.
Police had to use a taser on Camilleri to subdue him prior to his arrest, and it later emerged that he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time.