Man 'shot at ceiling' during argument

A nine-hour argument between a young couple climaxed when the man allegedly shot at a restaurant ceiling in a rage, causing his girlfriend to run out into the street.

Carl Bonnici, 30, was in the "living quarters" of his restaurant, the Morning Star in St Thomas Bay, with his girlfriend, Millicent Zammit, when an all-day argument suddenly blew up and Mr Bonnici fired his Browning shot gun at the ceiling on Thursday at 6 p.m., a court heard yesterday.

Running onto the street, Ms Zammit called for help and was assisted by a family member who lives nearby.

Mr Bonnici stands charged with holding his girlfriend against her will, firing the gun in an inhabited area, slightly injuring her and relapsing.

In requesting bail, defence lawyer Gianella Caruana Curran said the couple were no longer fighting and the girlfriend was not scared of Mr Bonnici, adding it was her parents who were afraid for her safety.

Police Inspector Fabian Fleri insisted that Ms Zammit was very scared of the accused and asked the court to refuse bail because the argument might reignite.

Taking into account the fact that Mr Bonnici has a restaurant to run and has living quarters there, the court granted him bail and ordered him not to leave the establishment unless to sign the bail book and buy stock twice a week.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke also ordered him to make a €1,000 deposit and sign a personal guarantee of €10,000 against his release.