A man who was thrown out of a Ħamrun pub after a row broke out returned with his shotgun and, standing outside, fired it through the front window at two men, a court heard yesterday.
The man, Jonathan Casha, a 31-year-old printer from Għaxaq, denied the attempted murder of Ryan Fleri and Carmelo Vella and slightly injuring them in the shooting.
He also pleaded not guilty to illegally carrying a firearm and breaching the peace.
The men had started an argument at Zonerz Pub, in St Joseph High Street, shortly before 1am on Monday.
After he was thrown out, Mr Casha went to the Marsa police station where he was told to go home and let officers handle it, sources close to the case said. He initially followed their orders but then went back to the pub, gun in hand, and allegedly fired it in the victims’ direction from outside the premises.
In pleas on bail, defence lawyer Noel Bianco said his client had a clean record and had cooperated fully with the police.
He asked if Mr Casha could be kept at the Forensic Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital.
Police Inspectors Saviour Baldacchino and Sarah Magri said Mr Casha had cooperated fully with them but they were objecting to bail on the ground that there might be tampering of evidence because the victims still had to testify.
A large number of witnesses who knew the accused were also waiting to take the witness stand, they said.
Magistrate Francesco Depasquale remanded Mr Casha in custody and sent a recommendation to the prisons director to keep him at Mount Carmel.