Relatives of a farmer who a neighbour allegedly shot at his fields in Paola on New Year’s Eve, testified in court on Thursday about the sequence of events and how they had seen their neighbour holding a shotgun.

Martin Delia, a 66-year old pensioner, is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Anthony Azzopardi.

Azzopardi himself had testified at the previous sitting, recalling how the incident took place while he was fixing some wooden fencing that separated his land from Delia’s property. 

Azzoprdi's sister, Rita Bonnici, testified how she had been with her husband in the fields, but went indoors when the phone rang. She suddenly heard her brother scream for help.

Looking outside, she saw her sibling, face smeared with blood. He shouted: “Rita! Call an ambulance! Martin shot me!”

She called the ambulance as well as the police, fearing her brother would bleed to death.

Asked about relations with the neighbours, the witness said that arguments did crop up occasionally about one thing or another, such as when one’s dog jumped into the other’s fields.

Her husband, Coronato Bonnici, also testified on Thursday.

He said that he was repairing his rubble wall when he suddenly heard his brother-in-law’s screams and saw the accused and his son running towards their farmhouse.

From his vantage point, overlooking the Delia fields, he could see a shotgun in Martin’s hands.

He too recalled the victim’s blood-smeared face.

Following these testimonies, the prosecution informed the court that there were no other civilians to testify in the proceedings.

Magistrate Monica Vella upheld the defence’s fresh request for bail, strongly warning the accused not to approach the alleged victim in any manner.

The court issued a Protection Order in favour of the victim.

Meanwhile, the accused is to reside at another address and he had been barred from going anywhere near the site where the shooting took place.

Nor can he approach the prosecution witnesses.

Bail was granted against a deposit of €5,000, a personal guarantee of €20,000, once weekly signing of the bail book and a curfew.

Finally the court declared that there was sufficient prima facie evidence for the accused to stand trial on indictment.

The case continues.

AG lawyers Kaylie Bonnett and Nathaniel Falzon prosecuted, together with inspectors Wayne Camilleri and Antonello Magri.

Lawyers Jose’ Herrera, Matthew Xuereb, Arthur Azzopardi, Jacob Magri and Daniel Attard are defence counsel.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb are appearing parte civile.