'His back was covered in blood'

The wife of a man who was shot at his Sliema office last February yesterday told a magistrate how soon after hearing a loud bang she saw that her husband was limping and looked "tremendously" scared.

"At first I did not notice that my husband was bleeding as he was wearing a dark jacket. But as soon as we got into the car and he removed the jacket I saw that his back was covered in blood," Mariella Azzopardi said.

She was testifying before Magistrate Saviour Demicoli in the compilation of evidence against Giosue Gauci, 58, of Gharghur, who is pleading not guilty to trying to kill her husband, Ronald Azzopardi, and seriously injuring him in Sliema on February 8 at about 10.30 a.m. Mrs Azzopardi told the magistrate how on the day of the shooting she had seen Mr Gauci walk into her husband's office who arrived soon after.

She was in her office, some distance away, and could hear the men speaking. Some time later she heard what sounded like an explosion and her colleague shouted that there had been a shooting.

Mrs Azzopardi then saw her husband run towards the main door. Mr Gauci followed him and was shielded by her colleague who then moved out of his way.

She then heard another shot and when she arrived outside she saw that her husband was limping.

While in the car, on their way to hospital, her husband told her that Mr Gauci took out a revolver and shot him following a business-related argument.

The case continues.