Jurors expect to start deliberating today

The defence lawyers of a businessman accused of attempted murder yesterday insisted that their client was acting in self-defence when a man was shot three years ago.

In their closing arguments, lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Matthew Brincat insisted that their client, Giosuè Gauci, 61, from Għargħur, was only acting in self-defence.

He stands charged with the attempted murder of Ronald Azzopardi on February 8, 2005, in Sliema.

Testifying on Tuesday, Mr Gauci said that after going to Mr Azzopardi's office several times to collect money owed to him, on one occasion he was told he would not be paid and instead Mr Azzopardi produced a gun. He told jurors a scuffle ensued during which he grabbed the gun from Mr Azzopardi and pulled the trigger.

Mr Azzopardi was shot once under his arm near his armpit. Referring to the testimony by Mr Azzopardi, who denied that a scuffle had taken place between them, the defence lawyers said that the evidence produced and collected from the crime scene all pointed towards the version of events as given by their client.

The head of the Prosecution Unit at the Attorney General's Office, lawyer Anthony Barbara, argued that Mr Gauci had been chasing the money that Mr Azzopardi owed him for a long time and this was why he had taken a gun with him on the day of the incident.

Dr Barbara said that Mr Gauci's testimony that he had lunged forward to grab the gun from Mr Azzopardi did not make sense because Mr Azzopardi is far taller and better built than him, and taking the gun would not have been as easy as Mr Gauci had made it out to be.

The trial entered its final phase yesterday with the presiding judge, Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, summing up the case to the jurors who are expected to retire to deliberate today.