The convicted assassins behind the murders of Carmel Chircop and the suppliers of the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia had their appeals quashed on Wednesday.

Brothers Adrian Agius and Robert Agius, Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio were sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2025 after a jury found them guilty of offences linked to the murders. The trial began on 24 April.

Lawyer Chircop was fatally shot with four bullets at a garage complex in Birkirkara, while Journalist Caruana Galizia was killed when a car bomb planted beneath her vehicle was detonated as she drove away from her home in Bidnija.

The jury found Degiorgio and Vella guilty of Chircop's murder, with Adrian Agius convicted of commissioning the murder, while his brother was acquitted of charges relating to Chircop's murder.

Vella and Robert Agius were convicted in connection with the murder of Caruana Galizia, while Degiorgio was found guilty in a separate trial.

All four men appealed their convictions and sentences, advancing a range of legal arguments that included claims of prejudicial pre-trial publicity, alleged juror misconduct, and challenges to the credibility of state witness Vincent Muscat (known as il-Koħħu).

They also argued that the imposition of life sentences was disproportionate, contending that they had been convicted as accomplices rather than direct perpetrators.

In their appeal, the defendants claimed their right to a fair trial had been compromised by extensive media coverage and further undermined when a reserve juror was discovered using a tablet to browse news websites and ChatGPT.

They also objected to jurors being shown footage of a 2021 police press-conference that had previously been ruled inadmissible. 

The defence further attacked the credibility of Vincent Muscat, who testified after receiving a pardon for his role in Chircop's murder and a 15-year prison sentence for assisting in the bombing that killed Caruana Galizia.

Muscat was portrayed as unreliable, with the defence pointing to his repeated use of the phrase "I don't remember" during cross-examination.

Additionally, the defendants argued that post-trial statements made by George Degiorgio constituted new evidence that should be considered by the court.

The defence tried to cast doubt on the police for not pursuing alternative leads in the murder investigations while also arguing that the alleged motive, a €750,000 debt Agius owed to Chircop, was insufficient to warrant murder. 

The Court of Appeal dismissed each of these arguments and firstly held that

extensive media coverage was inevitable in high-profile cases, and noted that jurors had been repeatedly instructed to base their verdict solely on evidence presented in court.

The reserve juror found in possession of a tablet had been immediately disqualified, and an expert review confirmed that no case-related discussions had taken place.

The court also observed that the defendants had at the time, had decided to continue with the proceedings and could not later claim that the incident invalidated the trial.

Regarding the police press conference, the court noted that footage had been formally struck from the record and that jurors had been expressly directed to disregard it.

The judges found that Muscat's testimony remained consistent on the essential elements of the crimes and reiterated that, under Maltese law, a jury may convict on the basis of a single witness if that witness is deemed credible.

The court also rejected Robert Agius' request to admit Degiorgio's post-trial statements into evidence, explaining that Degiorgio was legally barred from testifying for or against a co-accused while his own appeal remained pending.

In addressing sentencing, the court stressed that crimes of exceptional gravity warranted severe punishment. It reaffirmed that accomplices to murder are subject to the same penalties as principal offenders, and that non-unanimous jury verdicts did not preclude the imposition of life sentences.

Therefore, the Court of Appeal, presided over by Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, Justice Doreen Clarke and Madam Justice Josette Demicoli, rejected all grounds of appeal and confirmed the life sentences handed down to each of the accused.

They confirmed the jury's verdicts in full, upheld the life sentences imposed on all four men, and ordered them to pay their respective shares of court costs, amounting to several thousand euros.

The court ruled that the sentences were neither excessive nor disproportionate in view of the seriousness of the crimes.