A man with very poor eyesight and restricted mobility has denied firing a weapon during a heated argument at Cospicua on Wednesday.  

Carmel Calleja, 55, had to be physically guided into the courtroom and to his place at the dock, during his arraignment on Friday.

The man, who described himself as unemployed owing to his poor vision, pleaded not guilty to being in possession of a firearm whilst allegedly committing a crime against the person, firing the weapon in an inhabited area, breaching the peace, uttering obscenities in public, threatening and insulting his victims as well as relapsing. 

The violent incident took place on Wednesday evening, between 8pm and 9.15pm, on Triq id-Dejqa, when an argument allegedly broke out between the accused and two foreign men, apparently brothers.

The situation had escalated to the point that the accused fired his weapon. 

No one was injured. 

The scene of the shooting in Cospicua. Photo: Police

Legal procurator Peter Paul Zammit, assisting the accused, requested bail, explaining that the man had “practically been assaulted in his own home,” by the two alleged victims, even as attested by the damage to his front door. 

“He can barely move and hardly sees,” argued Zammit, pointing out that the accused had been unable to work for years and, in fact, got by on social benefits. 

Apart from those, his only income was the rent he received on premises leased to the alleged victims who were apparently refusing to settle their dues, hence sparking the row which had boiled over.

“In such a state, how could he not protect himself and his son?” the legal counsel argued.

Asked directly by the court, presided over by magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo, the prosecution confirmed that criminal action was also to be taken against the two alleged victims under summons. 

Prosecuting inspector Melvin Zammit objected to the request for bail, pointing out that a firearm had been used in an inhabited area and, given the accused’s poor eyesight, some innocent third party could have been injured. 

The court turned down the request solely on the grounds that civilian witnesses were still to testify and thus to avoid any possible tampering with evidence. 

The accused was remanded in custody, sobbing as he was escorted out of the courtroom.