A father shot in the course of a heated family argument in Għargħur last week has since forgiven his son, a court heard on Tuesday. 

Steven Azzopardi, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted homicide related to the incident.

When the hearing before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace kicked off, Peter Azzopardi, father of the accused and victim of the shooting incident, declared under oath that he had since forgiven his son and had no intention of testifying against him.

This declaration will inevitably transform the dynamics of the case, since it means that the prosecution must do without the testimony of the sole eyewitness of the alleged crime.

In the light of this twist, defence lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri promptly stepped in, pointing out that there was no prima facie case and that hence their client could not be placed under a bill of indictment.

Peter Azzopardi had allegedly been injured in a heated family row on Tuesday morning around 9.00am in a field just off Sqaq it-Xaqquf, in Għargħur.

Steven Azzopardi, his son, was arrested shortly after the incident which allegedly had stemmed from a dispute concerning family property.

As the situation escalated, it is understood that the father was injured in the shoulder by a bullet fired from a weapon believed to have been handled by the younger man.

During the arraignment, the son was charged with attempted homicide, having caused slight injuries to the victim, unlawful possession of a firearm and several other offences related to the incident.

Tuesday's hearing also brought about a downscaling of bail conditions, as the €30,000 deposit imposed by the duty magistrate presiding over the arraignment was reduced to €5,000 and a third party guarantee was converted to a personal guarantee of €30,000.

The case continues.

Inspector Roderick Spiteri prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel. Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi appeared parte civile.