MURDERING YOUR SPOUSE
Even before divorce was legal in Malta, it was not unusual for married couples to go separate ways as a consequence of an unhappy marriage.
Unfortunately, some resorted to extreme ways to do so – murdering their husband or wife. Separated by over 200 years, there are two recorded cases in the historic city of Senglea where motivated by resentment and infidelity, love turned deadly. Both stories ended in the deaths of spouses—one in 1748 and the other in 1971—but each reflects a different chapter in Malta’s history of crime and punishment.
1748: Felice Spiteri and the Murder of His Pregnant Wife
The first story dates back to December 1748, when 22-year-old orphan Felice Spiteri decided to end his marriage in the most shocking way instead of seeking separation. Unhappy in his marriage and secretly involved with another woman, Spiteri was determined to remove his pregnant wife from his life. When her body was found floating in Senglea’s harbour, the evidence revealed something sinister: she had been strangled, not drowned. The investigation quickly turned to the prime suspect, Spiteri, whose actions sealed his fate. Attempting to woo his lover, he gave her a blood-stained faldetta (cloak) that had belonged to his murdered wife, which led to his arrest. Spiteri sought refuge in a religious sanctuary where the law could not reach him, but upon being tricked into leaving his hiding place, he was captured in early 1749.
Following a heated trial, where a new judge had to be appointed to the case by Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, Spiteri’s fate was sealed. On August 30, 1749, Felice Spiteri met his end on the gallows at Senglea Point, near the very waters where his wife had been found.
His punishment did not end with his death; his body was quartered, and his severed limbs were displayed as a reminder of the price of such brutality. Later, Felice’s body was carried in a procession by the Confraternity of the Beheading of St John and buried in Floriana.
The gruesome ritual of public execution in 18th-century Malta served as a powerful warning to others, with crowds often gathering to witness justice enacted in a blend of horror and fascination. Often, families treated public executions as a day out, bringing a picnic to the site, chatting excitedly and only hushing to hear the last words of the condemned just before being executed.
Usually, once the convict repented, asking for forgiveness and offering his soul up to his creator, there would be general applause. Nowadays, people watch horror films as entertainment.
1971: Maria Costa and Crispino Delia’s plot against Carmelo Costa
Fast-forward to May 1971, and Senglea saw another act of betrayal as deadly as Spiteri’s—this time orchestrated by a woman and her lover. Maria Costa, aged 21, discontented with her marriage to Carmelo Costa, had fallen in love with Crispino Delia, aged 24, a man she met while she was working in a hotel and her husband was serving a prison sentence.
Upon Carmelo’s release, he discovered the affair and attempted to separate Maria from Delia. But Maria and Delia had already decided on a chilling solution to their problem: they would murder Carmelo. On the night of May 5, Maria silently opened the door to Delia while Carmelo slept in his bed in Victory Street, Senglea.
Delia repeatedly bashed Carmelo’s head with a hammer, causing his grisly death. Maria’s strange request to a friend the next day to wash bloodstained clothes led to an investigation, and her eventual confession unravelled the plot. Costa’s body was recovered by a Royal Navy frogman. He was dressed in blue jeans, a pink checkered shirt, and a brown suede jacket. He wore socks, but his shoes were missing.
The trial of Maria Costa and Crispino Delia took place in November 1971, marking Malta’s first major trial after the death penalty was abolished. Judge Joseph Flores presided over the case, with Oliver Gulia representing the prosecution. During the trial, defence lawyers Joseph Brincat and Paul Mallia argued that Carmelo Costa, the victim, was a psychopath and had a history of violent behaviour, even claiming he had been involved in crime since he was 12 years old.
Despite this defence, Maria and Delia were found guilty. Maria received a life sentence, while Delia was sentenced to 18 years in prison Both murders were carried out by young adults whose impulsive behaviour ruined their lives. Murder was a short-term solution with terrible consequences.
Written with reference to:
- ‘Kissing the Gallows – A Cultural History of Crime, Torture and Punishment in Malta, 1600–1798’ by William Zammit, BDL Malta 2016.
- ‘Unravelling darkness: accounts of murders in Senglea’ by Fabio Mangion. Accessed November 2024: https://timesofmalta.com/article/unravelling-darkness-accounts-murders-senglea.1097886