Man jailed for Rambo-style behaviour

A Marsascala man was yesterday jailed for two years and fined Lm111 for firing a shotgun in the direction of his former girlfriend's house four years ago.

Magistrate Noel Cuschieri heard how Jason Spagnol fired his father's shotgun at the doors and windows of the Scerri family's home and caused over Lm500 damage in Tarxien on February 15, 1998 at about 8 p.m.

The magistrate described 23-year-old Spagnol's behaviour as being similar to scenes from an episode of "Rambo". This behaviour, the magistrate said, was entertaining so long as it was contained within a television set but it became serious, dangerous and intolerable when it happened in real life.

Spagnol was also found guilty of carrying the shotgun and ammunition without a licence and firing it in an inhabited area.

The magistrate heard how Spagnol had an argument with his girlfriend's father, Joseph Scerri, about her health.

Spagnol was angry at the father because of the latter's attitude towards him. The day after his girlfriend broke up with him, Spagnol took his father's shotgun, loaded it, took a belt containing 26 cartridges and went in front of his girlfriend's residence.

Spagnol explained that when he arrived there he rang the door-bell but when no one opened he stepped backwards and fired about four shots in the direction of the house. He then waited to see if anyone would come out of the house but no one did and he left the scene.

Spagnol explained that he never intended to hurt anyone.

On handing down judgment, Magistrate Cuschieri took into consideration Spagnol's clean criminal record and the fact that he was 19 at the time of the commission of the crime.

He noted that Spagnol had refused to pay for the damage he caused and this indicated he did not regret his actions. The magistrate could not help but wonder why the accused had taken 26 cartridges with him. This, the court said, suggested he had intended to cause more damage.

The magistrate ruled that the behaviour of the accused was not to be tolerated and, thus, Spagnol deserved to be imprisoned.

Police Inspectors David Saliba and Marco Mallia prosecuted.