Updated 4.40pm 

An Egyptian man was found dead in a remote field in Gharb on Monday morning with gunshot wounds to his neck and shoulder. 

The body was found in a pool of blood in a field, in what is the first murder case of 2018.  The grim discovery was made by a passer-by who was on a walk near the chapel of San Dimitri.  

Sources identified the man as Walid Salah Abdel Motaleb Mohamed, 42, who was married to a Gozitan woman. The estranged couple had two children. 

Two used shotgun pellets were found close to Mr Mohamed's body, and police believe the 42-year-old was shot at the site where his body was found. 

Mr Mohamed, who was known to police, had previously spent time behind bars for threatening to throw acid into his partner's face if she sent their children to religion lessons at school. 

Rabat police were called to the Għarb countryside at 7.45am on Monday morning following the gruesome discovery, with forensic experts also quickly dispatched to the site. 

Magistrate Paul Coppini is leading an inquiry into the case.