A man charged with trying to kill his former friend by shooting him in the head was yesterday granted bail after spending three months in preventive custody.

Jonathan Pace, 31, from Gudja, owner of Tyson Butcher, is pleading not guilty to trying to kill Vince Muscat, also known as Il-Koħħu, firing a gun in an inhabited area, causing damage and having an unlicensed weapon.

Defence lawyers Giannella de Marco and Joseph Giglio requested bail once the victim had testified.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud objected to the request but Magistrate Carol Peralta granted bail against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €4,000.

In the last sitting, Mr Muscat asked Mr Pace “Why did you do this to me?” as the accused looked at him in silence.

Mr Muscat testified that, on April 8, he had arrived home in Msida and parked directly in front of his house at around 11.30pm.

He said he had not even turned the engine off and was handling groceries that were on the passenger seat when, all of a sudden, a car drove up next to him and a man wearing a hoody and mask got out. The man began shooting at him using a nickel-coloured pistol.

Six shots were fired, Mr Muscat said. He reversed the van and then moved forward, hitting a wall before heading to the local police station, almost at the same time as the accused drove away.

He said he managed to drive though he was hit three times in his head and was still suffering the consequences of the injuries.

In fact, he added, he lost his left eye, the feeling and use of his left arm and had bullet shards lodged in his brain that could not be removed.