Siggiewi farmer fined for unlawful possession of a firearm, threatening two men

A court has fined a 54-year-old man from Siggiewi €600 for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and threatening two people.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale was told how an argument broke out between landowner Francis Aquilina and the owners of an adjacent field on Thursday evening. 

The argument did not escalate beyond verbal exchanges, however the owners of the field, George and Christian Borg, noticed that there was a handgun in Aquilina’s car and reported this to the police.

Inspector Roderick Agius exhibited the semi-automatic pistol in court along with two pen knives, which had also been found in Aquilina’s possession.

Jason Grima, Aquilina’s lawyer, explained to the court that the accused is a farmer and uses the knives in the course of his daily work.

Aquilina pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined €600 by the court and was told to consider himself lucky that he had not been handed a custodial sentence. The magistrate also ordered the man not to approach the two men for the next three years.