Jurors visit site of alleged attempted murder

Jurors on Wednesday afternoon were taken to a Dingli field to see where a man was allegedly shot by a friend in an incident believed to stem over a dispute over a field's ownership.

The alleged victim, Mark Farrugia, showed Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera and the jurors the area where he said he was struck and then shot by the accused Joseph Scicluna, who stands accused of attempted murder.

Farrugia suffered chest and facial injuries from shotgun pellets.

Farrugia pointed to the area where he said Scicluna first hit him with a thick wooden rod (marloġġ) and then shot him with his own hunting shotgun, which had slipped out of his grip in a scuffle. 

Farrugia recounted how after the shooting, he managed to make his way along a footpath to where his father’s car was parked. He told his father that he had just been shot at by Scicluna and he was taken to a health centre for treatment.  

The accused, Joseph Scicluna.

Farrugia was cross-examined by the defence once the jurors returned to the courtroom. 

Asked by lawyer Jacob Magri  why he had not handed over to the police footage from a camera installed above a room in the area where the incident took place, the alleged victim said that he had installed the camera after the shooting. 

But the lawyer challenged him about that, saying that Farrugia had not handed the footage because he “had something to hide.” 

“You’re lying!” rebutted the witness. 

He was promptly rebuked by the court who said that such language was not tolerated. 

Farrugia was also grilled about a verbal exchange between him and the accused right before the incident. 

He insisted over and over that the two had simply discussed hunting and the weather. 

Then Scicluna had suddenly told him to look at an almond tree and hit him with the marloġġ. 

“What if I tell you that Scicluna had told you not to fire too low [when out hunting] because you were damaging his water pipes? And he also told you to leave his son in peace,” suggested Magri. 

“No, that’s not true,” hit back Farrugia. “We never spoke about his sons. Never, never!” 

“Remember that you are on oath. A man’s life is at stake here !” warned the lawyer. 

The defence also sought to cast doubt upon the victim’s version that the shooting took place further away than he actually claimed.

Moreover, the defence suggested that Scicluna had seen Farrugia heading for the firearm after he had punched Scicluna.

Spotting Farrugia about to grab the shotgun, Scicluna had managed to get to the weapon first, said the defence lawyer. 

“Not true,” rebutted Farrugia.

The trial will resume early on Thursday morning when the accused is expected to testify. 

AG lawyers Kevin Valletta and Kaylie Bonnett are prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are defence counsel. Lawyers Edward Gatt is appearing for the victim.