Bernice Cassar, the murder victim, was shot in the face, the court heard

Bernice Cassar was killed by a gunshot to the face, a court heard on Tuesday as evidence against her husband was compiled.

Inspector Wayne Camilleri’s testimony on the day of the crime and Cassar’s arrest marked the beginning of the collection of evidence against Roderick Cassar on Tuesday.

Cassar is accused of murdering his wife Bernice in the first case since femicide was added to the Criminal Code.

Although there was no question as to the manner of death, Camilleri noted that it was intriguing that the fatal shot was delivered to the victim’s face rather than her chest.

After a 17-hour standoff with the police, Cassar was taken into custody in his apartment in Qrendi, Malta. At around two in the morning, members of the Special Intervention Unit (SIU) broke into his apartment.

In court, he stated, “I want to explain why the operation took so long. Police were in contact with Cassar, who, according to Camilleri, was still in possession of the gun he is accused of using to kill his wife.

“Roderick Cassar started to say that he was suicidal and wanted to kill himself but was too scared to do so. “He wanted the police to do it for him,” Camilleri said.

During his interview, Cassar reportedly declined to respond to the majority of questions, but he did express regret for what had happened to her.

Cassar, 42, from Qrendi, stands charged of murdering Bernice Cassar, when he shot her at the Corradino industrial estate last week while she was heading to work. Bernice was hit in the face and chest and died on the spot.

Roderick Cassar pleaded not guilty.

The murder took place while the couple’s two young children were at school.

In May, Bernice Cassar moved out of the house with her kids after reporting her husband for multiple instances of domestic violence. She had submitted a new police report the day before she was killed, alleging that her husband had violated a protective order that had been imposed by the court in July.

Roderick Cassar locked himself inside his house for 17 hours before being apprehended by authorities. After a police raid on the house, Cassar was taken into custody and the gun believed to have been used in the murder was confiscated.

Roderick Cassar was accused of using a firearm while committing a crime, willful femicide, keeping his victim against her will, employing violence, including moral and psychological violence, and possessing a firearm without a licence. Theft of the victim’s cell phone, car key, willful destruction of her property, and endangerment of a bystander are additional counts.

After been added to the Criminal Code earlier this year in response to the murder of Paulina Dembska on New Year’s Day, this is the first instance of femicide being used as an aggravating offence in a court of law.