A man who allegedly hit a fellow hunter on the head with a thick wooden rod and then fired a hunting rifle at him in a Dingli field six years ago went on trial by jury on Monday.
According to the bill of indictment, Joseph Scicluna, now 59, had known the alleged victim Mark Farrugia for twenty years or so before the incident that took place in the early hours of October 31, 2018 in a field in the area of ‘Ta’ Dnat’ at San Ġakbu, Dingli.
Scicluna and his siblings had a dispute over a field and Farrugia had been summoned as a witness in court proceedings.
On the morning of the incident Farrugia went to his field at around 4:45am to set up his hunting gear. By 5.30am he was ready and, hunting shotgun in hand, watched for his prey.
He was joined by Scicluna and the two chatted for a while about birds and the weather. Then Scicluna pointed out something in a nearby almond tree. Farrugia turned round to look and the accused allegedly hit him with a thick wooden rod (marloġġ), the kind used as a handle for agricultural tools.
As the rod struck the side of his forehead, Farrugia tried to defend himself. A scuffle ensued and the two men rolled across the sloping surface, the shotgun slipping from Farrugia’s hands.
Scicluna allegedly grabbed the weapon, aimed it at Farrugia and fired.
Farrugia suffered injuries in the stomach and chest. He was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital in critical condition.
Six years down the line, Scicluna stands accused of attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm during the commission of the crime and also possession of a weapon without a police permit.
The court was told that Scicluna has always protested his innocence, insisting that he was not in the field when the alleged shooting took place.
In his introductory submissions to the jury, prosecuting lawyer Kevin Valletta from the Attorney General's Office said that the victim suffered permanent injuries and still had some pellets lodged in his body.
He insisted that Scicluna intended to kill Farrugia and for that accusation alone he should be imprisoned for between eight and forty years.
The jury could only find the accused guilty of the second accusation, namely grievously injuring the alleged victim, if they were not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that he was guilty of the first charge of attempted murder, explained the prosecutor.
“We will not give you all the pieces of the puzzle. But even if some parts are missing, the picture would still be identifiable,” said Valletta, urging the jurors to base their decision only on evidence produced at the trial.
The trial, presided over by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera, continues.
AG lawyers Kevin Valletta and Kaylie Bonett are prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are defence counsel. Lawyer Edward Gatt is appearing for the victim.