Mario Spagnol, 42, his 33-year-old brother David and their cousin Jason Spagnol, who is aged 25, all of whom are from Marsascala, were found guilty of killing the swans in Marsascala in broad daylight – a crime that was witnessed with horror by many passers-by.

Mario Spagnol was jailed for six months and had his shotgun and speedboat confiscated. David Spagnol was fined Lm500 which, if not paid immediately, will be converted to a three-month jail term. Jason Spagnol was jailed for three months but since he committed the crime during the operative term of a suspended sentence, he will spend a further 18 months in jail, which was the punishment he had received for committing other crimes.

The dramatic killing of the swans took place on 20 January 2002, close to St Thomas Bay in Marsascala. The accused faced a total of 13 charges, including shooting at a protected species, shooting a firearm in the vicinity of a residential area, firing their weapon from a speedboat and hunting during the closed season.

In addition, the court, presided over by Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona, ordered that the men be disqualified from having a hunting licence for five years.