The weapon used in a shooting in Valletta on Tuesday has not yet been found, a court heard yesterday.

The incident was the escalation of an argument between a man, his partner’s brother and the latter’s father, it is alleged. Sources said the alleged shooter and the victim argued over a deal involving money and cars.

Massimo Caruana, 35, an unemployed man from Valletta, denied trying to kill Noel Mifsud by shooting him in the leg at 10.50am in Triq l-Ixprun.

He was also charged with carrying an unlicensed weapon during the commission of a crime, slightly injuring Mr Mifsud, threatening Mr Mifsud and his father, Alfred, and breaching the peace. Mr Caruana, who is connected to other pending criminal proceedings, some dating back to 2006, was further charged with breaching bail conditions and relapsing.

The prosecution asked the court to forfeit €14,330 connected to Mr Caruana’s bail conditions in other cases.

I’ll shoot you in the head

According to a medical certificate presented in court, Mr Mifsud was shot from a very close range of one to two metres and was lucky to have only been slightly injured.

Doctors who examined Mr Mifsud, who is still in hospital, said he had an entrance and exit wound but investigators have not yet found the bullet, the court heard.

Defence counsel Charmaine Cherrett requested bail, but Police Inspectors Daryl Borg and Kurt Zahra objected, saying that, according to their investigations so far, after allegedly shooting Mr Mifsud, Mr Caruana allegedly pointed the weapon at Mr Mifsud’s father and told him: “I’ll shoot you in the head.”

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit turned down the request for bail in view of the seriousness of the charges and the possibility of witnesses being approached.