Guilty of damaging shotgun during argument

A 56-year-old man from Kirkop was given a six-month jail term suspended for two years following a fight which ensued an argument over 20 tumoli of land.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani heard that Remigio Sacco threw his nephew's gun in a quarry, damaging it, during a fight. The court said the case could have had far more serious consequences because while wrenching the shotgun from Roderick Sacco's hands, this went off and two shots were fired.

Police Inspector Joseph Agius testified that on September 15, 2001, he was informed that a fight had taken place in a field known as Ta' Penzja, in Valletta Road, Kirkop. The officer said there were long-standing arguments about this field, which formerly belonged to the late Leonarda Sacco, Remigio's mother. Family members believed the field belonged to them and wanted to use it to the exclusion of other members of the same family.

The witness said there had been an argument in which Roderick claimed Remigio had threatened him with a knife while Remigio said Roderick had pointed a shotgun at him. Stones were hurled in the incident. Roderick hit Remigio with the gun and had in fact been charged by the police about this incident, the witness added.

The court heard that when a report had been filed about the matter, members of the Sacco family had even started quarrelling and fighting at the police station.

Remigio Sacco was found guilty of damaging the shotgun, breaching the public peace, being in possession of a pointed instrument and assaulting his nephew.

Apart from the suspended jail term, he was also disqualified from having a gun licence for two years.

Lawyer Anglu Farrugia was defence counsel.

Lawyer Franco Debono appeared in parte civile.