A New Year’s Eve argument between two men with neighbouring fields in Paola led to one of them being shot in the face with a shotgun, a court heard on Monday evening.
Martin Delia, a 66-year-old pensioner from Paola, stands accused of the attempted murder of his neighbour. Delia was arrested shortly after the Saturday morning incident.
He is alleged to have shot the man from a five-metre distance using a shotgun, and then destroyed CCTV video of the incident.
A second man initially arrested, a 30-year-old from Paola, was released without charge.
Wearing a grey tracksuit and woollen cap, Delia strained to hear what was being said in the courtroom as he pleaded not guilty to charges during his arraignment on Monday evening.
Apart from the attempted homicide charge, Delia also stands accused of grievous bodily harm, carrying a weapon while committing a crime against a person, carrying a weapon without a police licence and tampering with evidence.
His legal team, led by defence lawyer Jose Herrera, argued that Delia should be granted bail on clemency grounds.
Delia had only minor offences in his past and was in poor health, at the end stage of kidney disease, going blind and on dialysis.
“His place is not in jail,” Herrera argued, adding that his client would happily abide by strict bail conditions if allowed out by the court.
Attorney General lawyer Kylie Bonnett argued against bail, noting the seriousness of the charges and the fact that Delia’s own neighbour, the victim, had identified him as the shooter.
Magistrate Astrid May Grima turned down the bail request, noting the gravity of the offence as well as the fact that civilian witnesses have yet to testify. Acknowledging Delia’s poor health, she instructed the director of prisons to ensure Delia received the care he needs while behind bars.
A female relative of Delia's who was in court for the arraignment sobbed as the magistrate ordered that Delia be remanded in custody.
Delia was represented by a five-man legal team made up of lawyers Jose Herrera, Matthew Xuereb, Daniel Attard, Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri.
The prosecution was led by inspectors Wayne Camilleri and Antonello Magri together with AG lawyers Nathaniel Falzon and Kaylie Bonnett.
Lawyer Franco Debono appeared parte civile, on behalf of the victim.