Mosta man charged with shooting policeman in the head

A man has been remanded in custody after he was charged in connection with last Wednesday's incident in which a policeman suffered gunshot wounds.

Francis Cuschieri, 45, of Valletta appeared agitated as he was arraigned before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera late this afternoon. Cuschieri is facing charges for a panoply of offences including arson, attempted grievous bodily harm , slight bodily harm, resisting arrest, disobeying legitimate police orders, weapons offences, handling stolen goods and criminal damage.

The accused, who appeared in court wearing tinted glasses, told the court that he was unemployed, having “lost his sight.” Cuschieri walked in and out of the courtroom unaided and appeared to be looking around.

Inspector James Grech explained how, on the 30th March the man had been at a Mosta residence, together with a woman "with whom he lived."

The pair had argued and the man is understood to have thrown the woman out of her own house, threatening to shoot himself.

The accused then locked himself in a room with a firearm and a gas cylnder, again threatening to kill himself.

Cuschieri had been taking drugs and was found to still be brandishing the handgun when police managed to gain entry to the room, the Inspector said.

One of the officers, sensing an opportunity to disarm the man, tried to wrest the handgun from his grip, but as the men struggled on the ground a shot was discharged, fracturing the policeman's skull and penetrating his foot.

Fortuitously, the officer suffered only slight injuries from the gunshot.

Inspector Grech informed the court that the firearm had been seized as evidence.

Defence lawyer Martin Fenech requested bail, a request immediately objected to by both the prosecution and parte civile.

In court, Cuschieri denied being on any medication other than methadone.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing in parte civile for the woman requested a protection order should the court release the accused from arrest.

The court, noting the nature of the incident and the risk of tampering with evidence, turned down the plea for bail. The court made a recommendation to the effect that the accused should receive psychiatric treatment at Mount Carmel Hospital.