Accused told police he wanted to blow man`s head off

A man accused of attempting to kill four people in Zebbug on April 16 told the police he wanted "to blow Henry Falzon`s head off" but he tripped in a pot plant, Police Inspector Carmelo Magri said yesterday.

Insp. Magri was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Nazareno Micallef, 37, of Zebbug, who is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Henry, Joseph, George and Daniel Falzon, to seriously injuring Henry Falzon and slightly injuring the three others.

Micallef also stands charged with keeping and carrying a shotgun and ammunition without a licence and firing the gun in public and causing over Lm500 damage to Henry Falzon`s Isuzu Trooper and with holding Marilyn Chircop against her will.

Insp. Magri said he had interrogated Micallef shortly after the incident and he had cooperated fully with the police and also handed over the shotgun he allegedly used.

He said Micallef told him he had had an argument with George Falzon that same morning as the latter was sending hunters to his fields and these were causing a lot of damage. The witness said Micallef told him he had spoken to the hunters in question and these informed him that George Falzon had sent them to hunt in the fields indicated.

Shortly afterwards, the accused said he saw George and Daniel Falzon in the area and he had gone to speak to them. He said George told him the fields did not belong to him and an argument ensued. George`s brother Joseph and their father Henry arrived on the scene soon after and the argument became more heated and the accused left the scene.

Insp. Magri said the accused told him he heard Henry telling his sons they should smash his brand new van. Micallef said he went home and phoned relatives to remove his van as he was afraid the Falzons would damage it.

The accused told the inspector that he had then gone for his shotgun, hitched a lift and when they were near the S Club, he asked the person giving him the lift to stop as he saw the Falzons in an Isuzu Trooper. He said he fell out of the car with excitement, ran to the roundabout and started shooting at them.

Insp. Magri said he was told by Micallef he had tripped in a pot plant as he was running and shooting at them. "The accused seemed to be letting off steam when he spoke about what had happened and started gesticulating to show us how he started shooting at the Falzons," the witness explained.

The accused said he had fired only five shots but the car had at least eight shots in it, he added.

Insp. Magri said that when he spoke to the Falzons, he heard a different story and George told him the accused had had an argument with him about some hunters who were friends of theirs and who complained that the accused had told them off when they were hunting in fields which belonged to the Falzon family.

Insp. Magri said George claimed that following a verbal argument, the accused had fetched a shotgun from his van and hit Daniel in his back with the butt. The accused told them to step away from each other, as they were practically holding each other, because he wanted to shoot them individually but George told him he could go ahead and shoot them if he wanted to.

The witness said George told him he called his brother and he arrived with their father shortly afterwards. The accused left but told them he would pay them back. Mobile squad and district police went to the scene and the Falzons were told to get medical certificates with regard to their injuries.

Investigations showed that the Falzons had left the fields and gone to their petrol station, then went into the Isuzu Trooper and were on their way to the Qormi health clinic when they crossed the path of the accused who started shooting at them.

Henry Falzon was hit in the shooting and they tried to run away as the accused started reloading his gun. Joseph Falzon saw the accused follow Daniel and shouted out to the accused that he should follow him not Daniel. The accused turned and shot at him, injuring Joseph in his thigh, Insp. Magri said.

Inspector Silvana Agius said she had spoken to Marylin Chircop, whom the accused had stopped after the shooting while she was driving by, and she had shown the police where she had taken the accused as he had instructed her to do.

Both Bruce Pace, an Air Malta pilot who gave the accused a lift before he allegedly shot at the Falzons and Chircop, in whose car the accused left the scene of the crime, said the accused looked very agitated.

The case continues.

Police Inspectors Carmelo Magri and Silvana Agius prosecuted.

Dr Michael Sciriha, Dr Gavin Gulia and Dr John Attard Montalto appeared for Micallef.