Father Drugged Children Before Alleged White Rocks Attack
A deeply troubling case unfolded in court this week as a Magistrate heard how a father slipped sleeping pills into his two children's food at a McDonald's restaurant before allegedly attempting to harm them at an abandoned building in Pembroke. The 49-year-old man, who cannot be identified under court order, is charged with the attempted murder of his son, aged 12, and daughter, aged 10, and is pleading not guilty [1].
According to Police Inspector Kurt Colombo Zahra's testimony, the accused took his children bowling in Paceville on the evening of 7 March before stopping at McDonald's at the Bay Street Complex. There, he admitted to officers that he placed sleeping pills in their food because he wanted them to fall asleep at his home rather than be returned to their mother [1].
The girl noticed something was wrong immediately. She later told her mother the food tasted bitter. When the children complained, the accused reportedly pressured them, saying: "If you love me, eat all your food." [1]
What happened next at the White Rocks complex in Pembroke—a disused holiday site where the family had previously spent time together—represents the darkest turn in this family tragedy. Police discovered the 12-year-old boy in an abandoned room, semi-conscious and covered in blood. A round mark on the floor matched the shape of a head, and blood-stained rocks lay nearby. The boy had sustained multiple blows to his head [1].
The accused told police there had been an "altercation" and insisted his son was hurt when he fell while running. But the 10-year-old girl's account painted a different picture. She managed to escape after her father bit her, and as she fled, her brother shouted desperately: "Run, or he will kill you." A passing motorist found the distressed girl on the Coast Road and drove her to the police station [1].
A Trail of Troubling Messages
The evidence reveals a man in crisis. Just before picking up his children that evening, the accused posted on Facebook in Italian: "He who causes war within families should never find peace." While they were eating at McDonald's, he posted again, naming his estranged wife's lover and writing that he intended to take his son with him [1].
The marriage had broken down following his wife's relationship with a personal trainer. After the attack, the accused texted his wife with a chilling message: "Take the girl, the boy is in heaven." [1]
A Three-Day Manhunt
The accused spent three days evading police before being found near a kiosk, limping. He had hidden in an empty caravan, where officers later discovered a notebook containing written apologies to his son. During questioning, he told police he had attempted to take his own life [1].
The boy remains in hospital but is no longer in a critical condition. The compilation of evidence hearing is ongoing before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit [1].