A man is being held behind bars after allegedly firing at a car carrying his partner's former husband and their children on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened in the countryside near Dingli at about 4pm after an exchange which stemmed from the woman's efforts to track down her children.

The court heard that the woman had spent the previous four days trying to contact the children’s father in the hope of taking custody of her two children, aged 12 and 14.

She finally drove to the countryside in the limits of Dingli where her ex’s father lived.

Prosecuting Inspector Stacy Attard explained how the children had been accompanying their father and grandfather in a Citroen vehicle, on their way to the family home, when they spotted the mother inside her car parked nearby.

Just as the woman sounded her horn, two shots rang out, allegedly aimed at the Citroen. They were allegedly fired by the accused, Joseph Cardona, 29 of Siġġiewi, who was driving another vehicle.

Police were alerted about the violence and the suspect aggressor was tracked down at his partner’s home within a short time.

A black shotgun, matching a description given by the alleged victims, was also retrieved.

Cardona pleaded not guilty to intending to grievously injure the four people inside the car, causing them to fear violence, threatening and insulting them, firing a weapon in an inhabited area, breaching the conditions of his licence as well as relapsing.

Defence lawyer Joseph Giglio voiced incredulity about the fact that other persons involved in the incident, notably the former husband, had not yet been arrested, a point also taken note of by the court.

He explained how the issue stemmed from a lack of observance of the conditions of a child custody decree. The accused had accompanied his partner for four days, trying to locate the children after all contacts with the father proved futile. Once they came across the boy and girl at Dingli, a verbal exchange had ensued.

In spite of the shooting allegations, none of the victims nor their car had suffered even “the slightest scratch,” argued the lawyer.

However, his request for bail was objected to by the prosecution, not only because of the gravity of the charges and the fact that civilian witnesses were still to testify, but also because both the accused and his partner frequently visit the area where the incident took place.

Magistrate Rachel Montebello urged the prosecution to summon its civilian witnesses at the first hearing.

Lawyers Roberta Bonello and Maria Claire Ellul were also defence counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are parte civile.