The men, 24-year-old Martin Cassar from St Venera and George Degabriele from Cospicua, who is 23, had been charged with stealing more than Lm1,000 worth of mobile phone top-up vouchers and other cards from Hudson Confectionery in Qormi on 5 March this year as well as with possessing an unlicensed firearm, firing it in an inhabited area and holding the shop owners against their will.

Yesterday’s witness, Timothy Konwuru who, together with his wife Marisa, owns the shop, explained that a man, who he was not in a position to identify, had come into the shop and pointed a gun directly at him. “The man pulled the trigger but the gun did not fire”, Mr Konwuru said. “He told me not to mess with him and then fired the gun at the ceiling”, continued the witness.

Mr Konwuru said he chased the thief as he ran away after stealing around Lm1,000 worth of top-up cards. “As he was running to get into a car, in which another man was waiting, he fired two shots in my direction”, he explained.

One of the men accused, George Degabriele, was also charged with stealing a Tata Sumo and driving it without a licence or insurance on New Year’s Eve.

After hearing Mr Konwuru’s testimony the court, presided over by Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima, ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented for a bill of indictment to be drawn up against the men and the case to go to trial.

Dr Roberto Montalto and Dr Josè Herrera appeared for Degabriele while Dr Franco Debono appeared for Cassar. Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi prosecuted.