Suspended jail term after guilty plea for man who rammed Magħtab house with Mercedes

A man who rammed his car into a Magħtab residence gate on Wednesday, was handed a suspended sentence after registering an admission on all charges.

Michael Camilleri, 41, from Qormi was charged with wilful damage to third-party property, insults and threats beyond the limits of provocation, causing fear of violence, and negligent, reckless and dangerous driving. He was also charged with misuse of electronic equipment.

Police officers at the Naxxar police station were alerted to an incident on Triq St Klara on Wednesday evening, where Camilleri, driving a Mercedes car, had rammed the vehicle into the gate of a farmhouse. Two shots rang out and the car backed away before more shots were fired.

The police said investigations as to who fired the shots were still ongoing but the shots “were not fired by Camilleri”.

Camilleri was arrested at 2am when he turned himself in at the Qormi police station, where he proceeded take the police to the site in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq where his black car was parked, the front riddled with gunshots.

While Camilleri named two other people allegedly involved in the shooting, the court was told investigations were still ongoing.

After confirming his admission, the court condemned Camilleri to a one-year jail term suspended for three years, a €3,000 fine and a three-month driving ban.

He was also issued a restraining order not to approach the two men and three female relatives who were at the Magħtab house, and ordered to reimburse €500 for the damage caused to their property.

Two of the alleged victims, a father and son, are likely to face separate charges over the incident.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Jose Herrera, Martina Herrera and Matthew Xuereb were defence counsel. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri appeared parte civile.

Inspector Joseph Mallia prosecuted. Magistrate Jean Paul Grech presided over the case.