{"podcast":{"title":"The Trial: Australia","slug":"the-trial-australia-7020233","podcast_index_feed_id":7020233,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6846a290f47b55b37a17dfc8","website_url":"https://thecrimedesk.om","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6846a290f47b55b37a17dfc8/1759237243844-3eb7d31d-26e5-4bea-aebc-5142acb5af44.jpeg","author":"The Crime Desk","episode_count":75,"summary":"The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trial-australia-7020233"},"episode":{"title":"The Story of Nikkita Azzopardi","slug":"the-story-of-nikkita-azzopardi","published_at":"2026-01-08T15:05:31+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trial-australia-7020233/the-story-of-nikkita-azzopardi","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trial-australia-7020233","url":"https://shows.acast.com/the-trial-aus/episodes/the-story-of-nikkita-azzopardi","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6846a290f47b55b37a17dfc8/e/695fa5a1410e1f15931eef90/media.mp3","summary":"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. Follow us on Tiktok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@mailmetromedia.co.uk Whatsapp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)   Presenter: Wayne Flower  Producer: Sam Morris Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini   A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"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 alar…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1475,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-trial-australia-7020233/episodes/the-story-of-nikkita-azzopardi/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trial-australia-7020233/the-story-of-nikkita-azzopardi.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}