Murder trial: Girl blamed her sister for mother's death

The lawyer found murdered in her car in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq in April had told her mother the accused had tried to strangle her, the victim's mother, Tessie Mifsud, told the court this morning. Testifying in the case against Nizar El Gadi, who has been charged with killing Margaret Mifsud by applying pressure to her chest, effectively stopping her from breathing, Mrs Mifsud said her daughter was worried the accused would kill her. Once he had tried to strangle her and after that the family packed his things and took them to the police station. The victim had told her mother the accused had ordered her to close the windows and doors and get on her knees resting her torso on the sofa. He then put a wire around her neck and asked her to choose between herself or the children. Mrs Mifsud said her daughter had told her she prayed to Our Lady to forgive her sins and take her peacefully. Mrs Mifsud said her daughter got married when she was 22 and separated after five or six years. Her family helped her out and by the time she graduated she had two children. The accused used to live with the victim’s family at their home. “They would always argue and he was very aggressive so she decided to...