A man who fired a warning shot during an argument over a hunting gun in a residential area in Balzan has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Stephen Borg, 32, from Birkirkara was at the Mosta house of Terence Cini and Chantelle Mallia on January 6, 2011.

At one point, Mr Cini left to buy somethingand two men – Francis Formosa and Darren Spiteri – turned up and demanded that a semi-automatic hunting gun Mr Spiteri had given to Mr Cini be returned.

Mr Borg refused and the men left after repeated pleas fell on deaf ears, the court heard. When Mr Cini returned, Mr Borg told him what had happened and, enraged, Mr Borg took the gun and went to look for the men at a house in Balzan.

Mr Cini tried to stop him but Mr Borg left and so he followed him. In Balzan, Mr Borg knocked on the door and the two men appeared on the balcony and began arguing with him and Mr Cini.

Mr Borg fired a shot and the pair rushed indoors.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke noted that none of those involved had filed a report and the police had received an anonymous call about the incident.

In his statement to the police, Mr Borg said he did not pull the trigger but the gun had gone off by itself.

As well as the jail term, the magistrate banned him from obtaining a firearms licence for five years and also fined him €700.