The trial by jury has commenced for two men accused of a brutal double murder in 2020.

Daniel Muka, 30, one of two men accused of a double murder in Sliema, was ordered by the judge to follow proceedings from a separate chamber at the back of the courtroom for security reasons.

The decision was taken on Monday morning at the start of the trial in which Muka, an Albanian national, is accused, along with Serbian national Viktor Dragomanski, 42, of murdering art collector Christian Pandolfino, 58, and his partner, Ivor Maciejowski, 30.

Muka is following proceedings via video link amid tight security. There was a visible police presence at the courthouse.

The crime, described by prosecutors as a robbery that escalated into a brutal double homicide, took place on the night of 18 August 2020 at the victims' residence in Locker Street. According to police investigations, the victims were gunned down in what is believed to have been a targeted break-in.

This is the third attempt to bring the case to trial, after prior dates in May and October 2023 were postponed. The latest delay was linked to a last-minute change in Muka's legal team. He recently appointed lawyer Mario Mifsud, claiming that his new defence counsel had not had sufficient time to prepare for the trial.

However, the court rejected Muka's request for another deferral and ordered that legal aid lawyer Josette Sultana, who had previously represented Muka, remain on the case.

Dragomanski is being defended by lawyers José Herrera and Alexander Scerri Herrera. The victims' families are represented by lawyers Joe Giglio and Michaela Giglio. The prosecution is led by lawyers Kevin Valletta and Maria Francesca Spiteri from the Attorney General's office.

Both accused are pleading not guilty.

Muka is facing 10 charges, including two counts of murder, theft aggravated by violence, illegal possession and use of a firearm, and breach of bail. He is also accused of stealing a white Volkswagen Tiguan used in the crime, along with stolen licence plates.

Dragomanski, meanwhile, has been charged with complicity in the murders and related thefts.

The trial, presided over by Madam Justice Natasha Galea Sciberras, officially began with jury selection on Monday following delays of several hours due to complications in the courtroom. Neither the media nor the public were permitted to attend the early stages of the hearing, a decision made in the interest of courtroom security.

A central pillar of the prosecution's case is the testimony of Danish national Jesper Kristiansen, 34, a former co-accused who pleaded guilty to his involvement and is now serving a 40-year prison sentence following a plea agreement.

Kristiansen has already testified in the compilation stage of the case, and his statements are expected to be a cornerstone of the prosecution's narrative. He alleges that the original plan was to carry out a burglary at the Sliema residence, under the belief that the home contained large amounts of gold.

Kristiansen claims the idea was spearheaded by Muka, and that both he and Dragomanski agreed to participate on the condition that no one would be present during the theft.

According to Kristiansen, the trio used a stolen white vehicle to travel to the house. Upon arrival, Muka approached the door carrying a small bag containing a pistol. Kristiansen had said he stayed back with Dragomanski, who waited near the vehicle. Moments later, Kristiansen reported hearing gunshots. When he rang the doorbell, Muka opened the door with the pistol in hand and the group quickly fled with stolen jewellery.

Kristiansen later escaped to Spain, where he was arrested and extradited to Malta. His testimony suggests that the murders were not part of the original plan, and that both he and Dragomanski were shocked and distressed by the killings, which he claims were solely carried out by Muka.

CCTV evidence and timeline of events

Investigators have cited CCTV footage as a critical piece of evidence. Video captured three individuals entering the victims' residence and later fleeing the scene in a white vehicle with stolen licence plates. Footage also confirmed that Pandolfino arrived home shortly before the suspects entered, while Maciejowski was already inside.

The post-mortem revealed that Pandolfino sustained four gunshot wounds to the chest, neck, and head near the front entrance, while Maciejowski was found upstairs with a single fatal shot to the head.

Additional charges against Muka include attempted extortion, illegal detention, and handling stolen goods. Prosecutors also accuse both men of deliberately substituting the car's licence plates to avoid detection and of targeting the victims based on the belief that the house contained valuables.

After a lengthy morning session, the jury was adjourned for a recess between 2:30pm and 4:45pm. However, when journalists returned to court for the expected continuation of proceedings they were informed that the trial had been unexpectedly postponed until the following morning.