Kurt Grech and his father, Joseph, were handed 20-year prison terms after being found guilty of the murder of 21-year-old Brandon Pace, who was stabbed outside his apartment in Giovanni Barbara Street, Ħamrun, in April 2017.

The sentencing follows a jury verdict reached after nearly eight hours of deliberation. Six jurors found the defendants guilty, wheras three said not guilty.

The defendants were convicted of wilful homicide, unlawful possession of knives, breaching public peace, and issuing threats against the victim's mother, Lisa Pace, and his partner, Jessica Bilocca.

The jury unanimously convicted both men of unlawful possession of knives, with an additional unanimous guilty verdict for Kurt Grech for breaching public peace.

The court, presided over by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera, handed down the sentence on Monday afternoon after hearing oral submissions regarding the appropriate punishment to be meted out.

Particular reference had been made by defence lawyers to a provision of the Criminal Code which provides that it is lawful for the court to award a sentence of imprisonment for a term of not less than twelve years in lieu of the punishment of imprisonment for life if, in establishing a fact involving the latter punishment, the jury shall not have been unanimous.

The prosecution was led by lawyers Kevin Valletta and Kaylie Bonett from the Office of the Attorney General.

Lawyers Rachel Tua and Ishmael Psaila represented the victim's family.

Defence lawyers Roberto Montalto, Katheleen Grima, and Edward Gatt appeared for the defendants.