The police fired some 50 shots at a wanted man they were trying to stop in Mellieħa on December 2, a court has been told.

Aidan Bartolo, 24, had been driving a Mazda Demio on the Mellieħa bypass when he realised the police were waiting for him at a roadblock. He tried to get away by driving at officers who tried to flag him down.

The officers opened fire, hitting the tailgate of Bartolo’s car several times, but he managed to get away after hitting two private cars and a police van and driving the wrong way.

He later abandon the car and escaped on foot into the Miżieb woodland, where he was arrested several hours later.

Bartolo now stands accused of the attempted murder of policemen as well as other charges including disobeying police orders and reckless driving.

Several officers from the Special Intervention Unit testified during the compilation of evidence how they had emptied their gun magazines, firing as many as 17 shots each at the suspect’s red car.

They said they had aimed at the tyres.

Bartolo suffered a foot injury and is walking on crutches.

The officers insisted they were forced to open fire because Bartolo was driving at them and they did not know his intentions.  No officers were hit.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono was critical that so many shots were fired, quipping that his client had not been driving a battle tank. He insisted that Bartolo had tried to escape because he panicked.

He did not offer resistance when he was arrested, having told his girlfriend to tell the police where he was, the court was told.  

Bail was granted against a deposit of €5,000 and a personal guarantee of €40,000.