22/01/2026
proper order
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Stephen Caruana, a 45-year-old father of four from Qormi, was handed a suspended sentence after being found guilty of killing his wife’s partner in what the jury deemed an excusable act of self-defence.
The incident occurred in the early hours of December 19, 2008, at Caruana’s home on Triq id-Drama, Qormi. According to the prosecution, Caruana woke up after hearing footsteps, grabbed his shotgun, loaded it, went upstairs, and shot Neville Baldacchino four times, killing him.
The jury, which reached its verdict at 10:30 p.m. after nine hours of deliberation, found Caruana guilty by eight votes to one on all three charges:
1. Voluntary homicide of Neville Baldacchino;
2. Committing a crime against a person using a firearm;
3. Discharging a firearm in a residential area.
While the jury found him guilty of voluntary homicide, they ruled that the crime was excusable, concluding that Caruana had acted out of fear and in defence of himself. As a result, the court did not impose any punishment for the homicide charge.
Presiding Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera, noting that the crime had occurred 18 years earlier and taking the jury’s findings into account, sentenced Caruana to two years’ imprisonment suspended for four years, along with a €3,000 fine for the remaining two charges.
Additionally, his firearm licences were suspended for five years, and he was ordered to pay €10,600 in court expenses.
The prosecution was led by lawyers Francesco Refalo and Shelby Aquilina from the Office of the Attorney General. Caruana was defended by lawyers Giannella de Marco and Charles Mercieca, while lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo represented the victim’s family.
