A jury hearing the case of three people accused of the attempted murder of a neighbour today heard the victim claim that one of his attackers tried to shoot him three times but the gun did not go off.

Anthony Zahra, his wife Louise and Mrs Zahra's uncle George Gatt, are accused of the attempted murder of Stephen Sultana in Kalkara in September 2001.

Police Inspector Marisa Camilleri said that Mr and Mrs Zahra had returned home after a day at the beach. Mr Zahra went upstairs to lower aMaltese flag from a flagpole. The flag, she said, had been tearing as a result of a metal rod sticking out from Mr Sultana’s washroom. This had been one of several causes of argument between the neighbours.

While he was on the roof, Mr Zahra saw Mr Sultana sweeping dirt and rubbish under his van and an argument developed, the inspector said, leading to the stabbing.

Testifying, the victim Stephen Sultana said that at about 6 p.m. he decided to go down to his garage. He noticed some leaves in front of the door and picked them up.

He then heard Mr Zahra complaining about the rubbish and he told him not to talk to him because this was in violation of a court order given in a previous case.

Mr Sultana said he went back into his garage and, suddenly “all three of them” came after him and opened the garage door. Mr Zahra was carrying a broom and a knife.

Mr Sultana said he grabbed his harpoon and the three of them left.

A short time afterwards he went out to pick up his young son from a neighbour’s house. As he came out of his garage, the three were there again. He said Mrs Zahra hit him on his head with a broom and Mr Zahra pointed a gun at him. He tried to shoot it but it did not go off three times.

“He told me I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you.”

He then felt a sharp pain on his right hand side and saw Mr Gatt holding a knife. Mr Sultana said he then fell to the floor.