A butcher was yesterday charged with shooting a man in the head on April 8.

Jonathan Pace, 31, from Gudja, the owner of Tyson Butcher, pleaded not guilty to trying to kill 52-year-old Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, firing a gun in an inhabited area, causing damage and not having a licence for the gun.

Victim was hit three times while sitting in his car

Mr Muscat was hit three times as he was seated in his car, parked outside his house in Bordin Street, Pietá, at about 11.30pm.

Badly injured, he drove to the nearby Msida police station in Msida where he asked for help.

Through his lawyer, Giannella de Marco, Mr Pace requested bail.

The police objected to this and Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit remanded the accused in custody.

In 2010, Mr Muscat had been charged, together with Darren Debono, in connection with the botched heist on the HSBC headquarters in Qormi.

He was charged with the attempted murder of two policemen, trying to rob the bank, stealing a Glock pistol and holding three police constables against their will.

The heist took place at about 7.30pm on June 30 as three men wearing wigs and fake moustaches entered the HSBC building, assaulted a police officer, removed his pistol and tied him to two bank employees in the control room.

When the intruders tried to leave there was a shoot-out, during which the thieves escaped.

In January last year, Mr Pace and his wife, Melanie, had been ordered to pay their meat supplier, Five Effs Import Co. Ltd, €54,000 for frozen items they had purchased.

In November 2012, a court ordered them to pay Public Broadcasting Services €47,000 for advertising services.