Lawrence Abina has been sentenced to life in prison after he was unanimously found guilty of murdering his partner in Gozo in February 2022.

The verdict was returned just after four hours of deliberation at the end of a trial by jury that last five days, while the sentence was handed down later on Wednesday.  He was also ordered to bear the costs of the case, just over €16,000, and pay them within 20 months.

Abina, 32, was found guilty of the murder of his partner Rita Ellul. Abina was found guilty of strangling Ellul, a mother of three, in an apartment in Għajnsielem, Gozo.

When the trial by jury had started, Abina had pleaded not guilty but prosecutor Kaylie Bonnet told the jury that he had confessed to the killing on three different occasions to different people.

There had also been previous incidents of domestic violence between the two and Ellul had reported him to the police twice.

On the second day of the trial, the jury had heard a police inspector recall how Abina had confessed to him over a cigarette during a break in his interrogation.

Inspector Wayne Camilleri told the jury that the defendant had admitted to strangling Ellul to death, claiming that he had done so because he was afraid of being jailed, had she survived and reported the incident to the police.

Police Inspectors Kurt Zahra, Josef Gauci and Wayne Camilleri had investigated the murder.

Prosecutors Kaylie Bonett and Anthony Vella represented the Office of the Attorney General in the proceedings, while lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace is assisting Abina as a legal aid counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared parte civile for the victim's family.