A 72-year-old woman has been murdered while her husband is in hospital after a domestic argument in Mqabba, a police spokesperson has said, with the suspect – the son of the victim – now under arrest.

A police spokesperson said that police received a call at around 2:15pm after a family argument escalated.

Police officers arrived at the residence on Valletta Road in Mqabba and found a 74-year-old man with injuries in his chest collapsed outside the residence.

He was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital for treatment via ambulance and has since been certified as suffering from serious injuries. 

Officers went inside the residence and found a 72-year-old woman dead with injuries, including stab wounds, all across her body. She was found dead in the residence’s kitchen.

Both victims – who were married to each other – appeared to have suffered stab wounds.  Reports indicated that the murder weapon used in the crime was a screwdriver.

The police said that investigators were treating the case as a murder and that the suspect had fled the scene.  He was found at his residence in the limits of Siggiewi, and after around an hour of police negotiations, gave himself up to officers at the scene.

The aggressor is 47-year-old John Cassar, the son of the two victims.  Police said that he has now been taken to its depot in Floriana for further interrogation. 

He is also the brother of Roderick Cassar, who is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence for the murder of his wife Bernice Cilia in November 2022.

The suspect uploaded a host of posts to his personal social media page after police received the call about the murder, and also over the past few days.

A magisterial inquiry is underway and is being led by Magistrate Renata Farrugia.

Photo: TVM