An elderly Paola resident testified in court on Thursday how she heard a sound similar to a tremor outside her front door, only to discover the following morning, that a shot had actually been fired at the door.

The woman was testifying in criminal proceedings against Melvin Debono, a 26-year old unemployed man of Paola, who last week was arrested and arraigned over the incident.

The elderly woman explained how on the afternoon of November 19 she had heard what sounded like a tremor outside her door.

The following day, a nurse who visited her on a daily basis to administer treatment, noticed a hole in the house door. The police were alerted and a bullet case was later discovered at the crime scene.

Facing the suspect in the courtroom, the victim declared that she had never set eyes upon the man.

Police officers testifying in court declared that there had been no other reports about the incident.

They explained that after examining CCTV footage from the site, the police had focused their investigations upon the suspect who was duly arrested.

He is pleading not guilty to unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm, reckless driving and damage to third party property, besides breach of earlier bail conditions.

Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo granted the accused bail against a personal guarantee of €4,000 and an obligation to sign the bail book on a daily basis.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.