Martino Gatt, the St Paul's Bay man who stands accused of the fatal shooting of Louis Ellul in Pembroke on December 2 gave a detailed account of his actions shortly after he was arrested, Police Inspector Christopher Pullicino told a court this morning.

Giving evidence during the compilation of evidence against Gatt, Inspector Pullicino said that in his statement Gatt admitted to shooting Ellul, saying he believed he was responsible for the fact that he was not being allowed to see his children.

His children, a boy and a girl, as well as their mother, Gatt's ex-wife, had been living with Ellul.

Gatt told the police in his statement that on the day of the shooting he had waited in his car outside Pembroke church. As soon as he saw Ellul, his wife and the children come out of the church he got out of his car, hiding his gun under a cloth.

He then went up to Ellul and shot him. He did not know how many times he shot, but after the first shot he told his wife this was all her fault.

He then got back to his car and drove to Rabat and Girgenti,where he prayed for his wife, his children and the victim.

He then drove down to Siggiewi for a beer and was arrested there.