A man shot dead two weeks ago in front of his three grandchildren was hit so hard on the head with the butt of the gun that it broke in two, a court heard yesterday.

The savagery with which the victim, 61-year-old Joseph Caruana, was treated by his alleged killer, Godwin Scicluna, 52, his former son-in-law, stood in stark contrast to what was otherwise a normal day for the family.

Mr Scicluna and Mr Caruana’s daughter Simone had three children and up to six months ago the family seemed fine.

But their relationship then hit the rocks and Ms Caruana left the marital home with the children, the court was told.

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud took the witness stand in the case against Mr Scicluna who is charged with killing Mr Caruana and with the attempted murder of his wife and her three children.

The inspector testified that on the day in question, October 27, Ms Caruana had taken the children to see their father and he cooked rabbit for them.

All hell broke loose when Mr Caruana phoned his daughter to say he was ready to pick them up and an argument ensued between the estranged couple over Ms Caruana’s digital camera.

Mr Scicluna smashed the camera on the floor and during a heated exchange in front of their three children – aged five, three and eight months – their father grabbed his hunting gun and pointed it at Ms Caruana.

She told police in her statement that she took cover under the kitchen table and then began to wrestle with him, holding the barrel of the gun as they fought for possession of the firearm.

At one point she told her daughter Yasmin, five, to go outside and warn her grandfather about what was happening and to ask him to help them.

Shortly afterwards her father walked in and tried to take the gun away from Mr Scicluna.

At that point Ms Caruana got up and tried to grab Yasmin, her other daughter Shania and the baby, who was in a Maxi Cosi carrier, but she failed.

She only managed to take hold of Shania’s hand before dashing towards the front door.

She turned to look and saw her father being shot and hitting the ground, shouting that she should get out as fast as she could.

Mr Scicluna then fired a shot at her and hit her in her left shoulder. After she left the house she realised that her daughter had been hit in her right shoulder.

She ran to a neighbour, who happened to be PC Brian Grech, who called his colleagues.

Inspector Arnaud said it resulted later that the victim had been hit so hard over the head with the rifle that it broke in two.

The accused then hid the barrel of the gun in manure and threw the butt on the roof in front of PC Grech when the police officer walked in to arrest him, he said.

In his statement, Mr Scicluna admitted to handling the gun and shooting but said he blanked out after the first shot and could not remember anything else.

Taking the witness stand, PC Grech said he had spoken to the accused barely an hour before the shooting took place as Mr Scicluna watered the plants outside his house.

He asked him how he was and everything seemed fine.

About an hour later he heard a noise and his parents and wife asked him what it was.

His wife went out onto the balcony to see what had happened when she spotted Simone running towards their house holding a child and covered in blood. She told him to run downstairs and he went outside to see what the problem was. Ms Caruana told him that her father was dead inside and her other children were still there.

PC Grech said that his main concern at that point was getting the children out.

He rushed inside and, finding the accused about to walk out, grabbed the children and handed them over to his own father who was waiting outside.

He walked back inside and found Mr Scicluna about to light a cigarette.

Noticing that the butt of the gun was on the floor, he asked him where the rest of it was.

“I don’t know,” Mr Scicluna replied, and then picked up the butt and threw it up on to the roof.

Asked if he had ever noticed something unusual about Mr Scicluna’s behaviour, PC Grech said that he always had the impression he was a family man because he would see him with his children and their animals.

Some six months ago it became apparent that the couple’s relationship had gone downhill and his behaviour changed because of the problems that ensued, he said.

The case continues.

Lawyers Michael and Lucio Sciriha and Mark Attard Montalto appeared for Mr Scicluna.