A long dispute between two families over a car purchased jointly by a former couple culminated in a shooting incident earlier this month, a court heard yesterday.

Details of the family feud emerged during the compilation of evidence against Massimo Caruana, 35, an unemployed man from Valletta, who stands charged with attempting to kill Noel Mifsud when he allegedly shot him in the leg in Triq l-Ixprun, Valletta.

Mr Caruana is also charged with carrying an unlicensed weapon during the commission of a crime, slightly injuring Mr Mifsud, threatening Mr Mifsud and his father, Alfred, and breaching the peace.

Mr Caruana, who has other pending criminal proceedings, some dating back to 2006, was further accused of breaching the bail conditions in two pending cases and relapsing.

The prosecution asked the court to forfeit €14,330 connected with the bail conditions, which were allegedly breached.

Alfred Mifsud testified before Magistrate Josette Demicoli that he was with his son, Noel, when was shot at 10.50am on June 16.

The witness said he had dated Mr Caruana’s mother, Anna, and when their relationship ended, he expected she would return the Peugeot they had bought together.

He said he had paid for the car himself but it was registered in her name. The matter, he continued, had been pending for several months and had ended up in court. Alfred Mifsud said there was another issue over a Subaru being used by Mr Caruana but which was registered in his name.

Mr Caruana’s partner, with whom he has two children, is Alfred Mifsud’s daughter. Insisting he treated Mr Caruana, the father of his grandchildren, as a son, Alfred Mifsud said that earlier on the day of the incident, Noel Mifsud had received a call from Mr Caruana and the two agreed to meet close to Fort St Elmo.

He said he accompanied his son but remained in the car. All of a sudden, he heard a shot and saw his son, who was outside the car, with a gaping hole in his leg.

“I turned to Massimo and told him: ‘Do you realise what you have done?’ And he replied: ‘I will shoot you, too, and blow your head off’,” the witness said.

The victim said he had agreed to meet Mr Caruana in an attempt to settle the issue that had been pending for far too long. As he waited outside the car, he saw Mr Caruana approaching him from Republic Street. Suddenly, he saw him produce a weapon.

Noel Mifsud recounted his words to Mr Caruana: “‘We’re trying to settle matters and you come here with a weapon?’ And he replied: ‘Do you think I won’t shoot you?’ He then pointed the gun at my leg and shot me.”

The case continues on July 3.

Police Inspectors Daryl Borg and Kurt Zahra prosecuted.

Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett was defence counsel.