A man who was shot at near a farmhouse on the Birkirkara bypass was covered in gunshot pellets that penetrated almost every part of his body including his brain and heart.

Peter Borg, 56, known as Tal-Ħasi, was lucky to be alive and it was thanks to timely medical intervention that he managed to survive, a specialist in forensic pathology, Mario Scerri, said yesterday.

He was testifying in the case against Nazzareno Briffa, 49, who is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Borg on July 22, 2009, at 12.45am.

The court heard that it all started at Toni’s Bar in Birkirkara where Mr Briffa was having a drink. Mr Borg walked in and began swearing at Mr Briffa, hurling insults at his family, including his dog.

An argument ensued and became so hot that the barman, Tony Falzon, had to intervene and told Mr Briffa that Mr Borg was only joking and not to take anything to heart.

Shortly after leaving the bar, the two of them went their separate ways but, later that evening, Mr Briffa turned up at Mr Borg’s farmhouse with a loaded shotgun and began shouting: “where is he, where is he?”

He then fired two shots in the direction of the farmhouse and when Mr Borg went out to see what was happening, he was hit by a third shot.

The police arrived shortly afterwards to find the accused holding the shotgun and arrested him.

They found the victim unconscious lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Police Inspector Anthony Agius said. The victim’s condition was so bad that the officer said he could remember remarking that he would die.

The trial continues.