A man who shot a housemate, leaving two pellets in his neck and hand, was given a suspended jail term.

The incident occurred on December 28, 2008 at about 7pm when Horace Fenech, 37, from Siġġiewi, demanded that Nicholas Catania leave the farmhouse they shared. He was charged with attempted serious injury, threatening Mr Catania and handling stolen property.

Magistrate Edwina Grima heard that the men were good friends and lived together. However, things turned sour when Mr Fenech stopped Mr Catania from bringing home people he believed to be unsavoury characters. He insisted Mr Catania should pack his things and leave.

Mr Catania said the accused had told him to stop being friends with a man named Marco and had also accused him of stealing a caged golden plover bird.

As the argument heated up, the accused produced a small axe and tried to scare Mr Catania out of the house, which he then threw out of the window.

Mr Catania said he was collecting his personal items to leave and when he reached for a caged bird a gun shot went off. Mr Fenech warned him he would shoot again, which he did, followed by a third. On the third shot, the victim said he felt a burning sensation in his neck and hand and realised that he had been hit with lead pellets.

Mr Fenech told the police Mr Catania had carried out illegal hunting on his property and used bird callers, which he wholeheartedly opposed.

The magistrate noted that Mr Catania had almost recovered fully from the wounds. She found no evidence to suggest that the accused knew that the gun was stolen and, therefore, acquitted him of handling stolen property.

The magistrate sentenced him to six months in jail suspended for two years.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto appeared for Mr Fenech.