Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1516944
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 MARCH 2024 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 AG Victoria Buttigieg and Camilleri's defence lawyers had jointly requested he be sen- tenced to 37 years and fined €2,000, as well as bearing the costs of the case. Making refer- ence to previous decisions where sentences were reduced in view of early admissions of guilt, the judge noted that the defendant had pleaded guilty more than a year into the compilation of ev- idence against him. "In this case there are not go- ing to be any surprises," said the judge, as the court had already declared that it was not bound by plea deals. Noting that Camilleri already had several previous convictions for serious crimes, the judge said this showed him to have a crim- inal and dangerous character. "The law cannot permit people to use violence simply because they lost their temper," said the judge. His continued use of drugs al- so indicated nonchalance on Camilleri's part, she said. Camilleri's "barbarian attitude" had led to Kaya's untimely death, ruled the court, concluding that in the particular circumstances of the case it should not accept the joint sentencing submis- sions. The judge increased Camill- eri's prison sentence to 40 years, while observing that she was unable to impose a life sentence because he had admitted before the bill of indictment could be issued. In a previous sitting in the com- pilation of evidence against him, Camilleri had admitted guilt to all charges, as part of a plea deal that his lawyers had reached with the Attorney General. Camilleri admitted to 14 of- fences in total: wilful homicide, inflicting grievous injury leading to death, grievously injuring a second woman and slightly in- juring a man. He was also charged with dam- aging private property: a petrol station, a parked car and the res- taurant into which he crashed. Other charges include danger- ous and reckless driving, driving under the influence, violently resisting arrest and attacking private citizens. Camilleri's ad- mission also covered the charg- es of possession of cocaine and diazepam, breaching the peace and violating the conditions of a probation order. Kaya, an interior designer from Turkey, was killed when she was hit by a BMW X6, driven by Camilleri, in Gzira on 18 January 2023 – the day of her 30th birth- day. Viral CCTV footage of the in- cident showed a black BMW X6 careening headlong into the Gzira KFC outlet, next to the Paul & Rocco petrol station. Kaya, who had been walking next to the petrol station, was hurled several metres forward by the violent impact. Cameras captured the driv- er, who was later identified as Camilleri, emerging from the vehicle and assailing passers-by, before throwing pieces of rubble at the victim as she lay on the ground. Camilleri had to be tasered twice by police officers before he could be taken into custody. Drug tests revealed high levels of cocaine and alcohol in his blood- stream. Lawyers Kaylie Bonnett and Nathaniel Falzon from the At- torney General's office prosecut- ed, together with Police Inspec- tor Kurt Zahra. Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene' Darmanin were Camill- eri's defence counsel. Lawyer Shazoo Ghaznavi as- sisted the victim's family as par- te civile, together with lawyers Charlon Gouder and Ramona Attard. Interior designer Pelin Kaya was killed after being run over in Gzira (Photo: Facebook) A vigil was held in the days after Pelin Kaya's murder (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) Defendant had pleaded guilty more than a year into the compilation of evidence "T he law cannot permit people to use violence simply because they lost their temper."