Dutchman pleads not guilty to the brutal murder of Shannon Mak in Sta Venera on Friday

A 22-year-old Dutch national, Jelle Rijmpa, appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of Dutch woman Shannon Mak.

Dressed in a white shirt and jeans, the accused showed no emotion as he pleaded not guilty and requested bail on the grounds that his permanent residence and fixed job in Malta, along with the fact that he was a European national, meant that there was no risk of him absconding.

He was also charged with carrying a knife without a licence or permit.

The body of 30-year-old Shannon Mak was found at 6.20am on Friday lying between two parked cars in Triq il-Mastrudaxxi, Santa Venera, where both she and the accused resided. The victim, who had been seen a few hours earlier in Qawra, had evidently had her throat slit.

In an official statement later in the day, the police said that Mak had been killed with a sharp and pointed instrument.

Inspectors Kurt Zahra and Robert Vella, prosecuting, objected to the request for bail, cit- ing witnesses — including Rijimpa’s former colleagues — who were yet to testify, and the grav- ity of the case.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing parte civile, said that the charges carried the maximum penalty — life imprisonment — so there was a strong motive for the accused to abscond if released on bail.

Magistrate Micallef Straface rejected the request for bail in view of the nature of the offence, the early stages of the investigation, and the fact that several potential witnesses were still to be heard.

Mak’s family members, including her father, who had just arrived in Malta, were present during the arraignment. The family was visibly shaken, with some members reduced to tears.

Media reports claimed that Rijimpa was Mak’s ex-boyfriend and that the murder was likely related to their relationship. According to police sources, the accused admitted that he had killed Mak while under interrogation.

Mak was also found wearing a form of wristband indicating she worked for, or was associated with, an online betting company on the island.

Rijimpa was represented by legal aid lawyer Leontine Calleja.

Shannon Mak