Victim recounts differences leading to shooting

A man shot in the neck yesterday told a court how a relative shot him because "he did not want me to use my field for hunting".

Alfred Schembri claimed Salvu Farrugia had repeatedly asked him not to hunt in his field but he had ignored him because he could not see why Farrugia would try to dictate what he could do in his own field.

Schembri testified in the compilation of evidence before Magistrate Noel Cuschieri, who yesterday found enough reasons for the indictment of Salvu Farrugia, 55, of Birzebbuga, who is pleading not guilty to Schembri's attempted murder on May 16.

Farrugia is also charged with seriously injuring Schembri, who is his second cousin, permanently scarring his face, neck and an arm and damaging his car.

Schembri yesterday explained that May 16 started out to be a day like any other. He woke up at about 4.45 a.m., grabbed his shotgun, got into his car and drove towards his field to hunt.

The road he usually took was blocked so he took another. He had to drive very slowly because the road was full of holes.

"I saw Salvu standing in the middle of the road with his shotgun. He then ran towards a wall on my right.

"When I saw him I lowered my head since we were not on speaking terms and I hadn't spoken to him for about four years. As my head was lowered, I heard a shot, raised my head and saw Salvu aiming his shotgun at me.

"I was scared. I turned my body sideways to avoid the shot but he still hit me on my neck. I just stepped on the accelerator and turned the car to go home because at that moment I thought I would bleed to death. I then saw him load another cartridge into the shotgun so I reversed the car.

"I thought to myself that I had to drive quite a long stretch. If I make it, I make it, if I don't, I don't. Now we'll see," he said.

"I couldn't understand why he shot me because I had done nothing to him."

Schembri said that when he arrived home he created a commotion. His wife and other relatives came to see what was wrong with him. When they asked him who had shot him he told them, because he did not want to cause more trouble, that he had not seen his assailant.

Schembri was then asked to give an overview of his relationship with Farrugia and explained how it had changed for the worse.

He said he had known Farrugia since he was a little boy because their fathers knew each other. They were related somehow but he did not know how. He got to know Farrugia better later in life, when Farrugia rented out the field near his for about 20 years.

Farrugia originally just went to his field to check on the trees he had planted. He never really went there to hunt until one year Farrugia suddenly turned up during the hunting season. That year all went well between him and Schembri.

But the next year, Schembri explained, Farrugia insisted that he did not want him to hunt in his (Schembri's) field. Schembri ignored his request since he felt he was doing nothing wrong.

They did not speak to each other during the hunting season but, after that, everything went back to normal. The same thing happened for the next couple of years until the two fell out with each other.

Farrugia's field was sold about two years ago, Schembri said, but Farrugia continued going there.

One day Schembri was asked to go to the Birzebbuga police station where a police sergeant warned him not to damage the trees in his neighbouring field. Schembri did not know what the sergeant was talking about because he had not damaged any trees.

Schembri said he eventually went to speak to the field's new owner but the owner alleged that he had damaged the trees. He then went to speak to Farrugia about the matter but, when he approached him, Farrugia ran at him and aimed his gun at him.

On another occasion, Schembri was hunting in his field and he shot at a turtle dove. But the bird glided into Farrugia's field and when Farrugia noticed he got very angry.

Under cross-examination, Schembri said that he had not reported these episodes to police or to his lawyer because he was a peaceful man and did not want to cause trouble.

The case continues.

Police Inspectors Silvio Valletta and Nadia Falzon are prosecuting.

Dr Toni Abela and Dr Victor Bugeja are appearing for Farrugia.

Dr Peter Fenech is appearing in parte civile for Schembri.