On October 2024, 35-year-old Nikkita Azzopardi failed to attend a family gathering in Melbourne, an absence so out of character it immediately raised alarm. Within hours, her brothers Darren and Sean would force their way into her home and make a discovery that would change their lives forever.

Nikkita had been brutally killed by her partner, Joel Micallef. Charged with murder, Micallef was later found not guilty due to mental impairment, after forensic psychiatrists told the Supreme Court of Victoria he was suffering acute psychosis at the time of the killing.

In this episode, Nikkita’s brothers speak publicly about the moments leading up to her death, the harrowing scene they encountered, and the legal process that followed. They share their frustration with a system they believe failed their sister, and explain why they are now calling for urgent reform of Victoria’s mental impairment laws.

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Presenter: Wayne Flower 

Producer: Sam Morris

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

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Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

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A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

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