The mother of a Gozitan man who was badly injured in a shooting incident recounted in court yesterday how she removed a gun her son's aggressor was holding.

Stella Cini was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Joseph Portelli, who stands charged with the attempted murder of Franky Cini.

Both men hail from Zebbug, Gozo.

Mrs Cini explained that on July 25 she left her house after hearing people shouting and saw her son restraining the accused.

On seeing her, the accused said: "I will kill you both". Her son asked her to remove a revolver the accused was brandishing and she said she managed to do so with difficulty.

Both the wife and daughter of the accused had asked for the firearm but the witness said she ran away with it and took it to her daughter's house nearby. She immediately returned to the scene of the incident to assist her son.

Mrs Cini said she asked the accused's wife what had led to the argument and was told that her son had scratched their daughter's car.

She said the accused's wife then told her: "I did tell him not to shoot him".

The daughter of the accused, Lynette Portelli, explained that on that day, Mr Cini had scratched her car with his van and her father had told her to speak to him about the accident.

Mr Cini denied having scratched her car and attacked her father with a screwdriver, the witness said, adding that she tried to pull him away from her father, who cried for help. In the meantime, the victim's mother had started hitting her father on his head with a stick. She said Mrs Cini told her son to kill Mr Portelli.

Ms Portelli testified that she only saw the revolver in Mrs Cini's hands but did not see her firing it, nor did she hear any shots.

Antonin Pechar told the court Mr Cini had two entry wounds in his front abdomen and one exit wound in his back. Because of this, he assumed that one of the bullets was still inside the man's abdomen and the victim underwent a life-saving operation.

One of the bullets had penetrated the abdominal cavity and caused extensive damage, including a ruptured spleen and lacerations in the stomach. The edges of both entry wounds were burnt and therefore the witness concluded that both shots were fired at a very close distance.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, granted the accused bail against a deposit of Lm500 and a personal guarantee of Lm2,000.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Chris Pullicino prosecuted.

Dr Emanuel Mallia was defence counsel and Dr Chris Said appeared in parte civile.