A man was jailed for 20 years yesterday for trying to kill the brother of notorious criminal Melchior Spiteri, who in turn is serving time for murdering the man’s brother.

Mr Justice Michael Mallia handed down the sentence yesterday after jurors, on Saturday, found Ronnie Azzopardi guilty of attempting to kill Jonathan Spiteri, the brother of Melchior, who is serving a 30-year sentence for killing Mr Azzopardi’s brother Jason in 2001.

Jurors delivered a 7-2 guilty verdict, also finding Mr Azzopardi guilty of the illegal possession of a firearm and damaging Mr Spiteri’s car when he fired at him.

In his testimony, Mr Spiteri said that on his way from his girlfriend’s house in Marsascala on January 5, 2003, at about 12.30 a.m. he was ambushed near the Park of Friendship by a man on an off-road bike, who rode up adjacent to him, pulled a gun from his jacket and shot at him through an open window.

He immediately recognised the accused since the helmet did not cover his whole face, he said. The victim ducked to try to avoid the shots but one bullet hit him in the shoulder.

He decided to play dead and his car crashed against a wall but kept his eyes open until Mr Azzopardi drove off. Mr Azzopardi protested his innocence throughout the trial, contending that the case was another move by the Spiteri family to eliminate the Azzopardi family – one member had already been killed and they were now trying to put another brother behind bars.

However, jurors found him guilty after deliberating for six hours. Mr Azzopardi will be appealing the judgment.

Lawyer Nadine Sant, from the Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted while defence lawyers Edward Gatt and Kris Busietta appeared for Mr Azzopardi.