A 52-year-old man was remanded in custody while his 17-year-old son was placed under house arrest after they were charged in connection with the shootings that took place in Balzan on Wednesday.

Philip Borg, from Balzan, was charged with attempting to murder and slightly injuring Frederick Dalli, carrying a pistol during the commission of a crime as well as carrying a weapon and firing it in a public place. His son, whose name cannot be mentioned since he is a minor, was charged with becoming an accomplice by handing the pistol to his father.

During the submissions on bail, Magistrate Miriam Hayman heard defence lawyer Anglu Farrugia arguing that his clients were to be granted bail as they could not tamper with the evidence and because they had to tend around 400 parrots and 15 dogs.

The prosecution, led by Police Inspector Daniel Zammit, said that only the boy should be granted house arrest, as he was trained in how to tend to and feed the animals. Besides, said the inspector, Mr Borg had spent two hours on Tuesday explaining the trade to his brother.

The magistrate remanded the man in custody while the boy was placed under house arrest against a personal guarantee of Lm5,000. Among bail conditions, the magistrate allowed the boy to daily leave his house for two hours and a half in order to take his dogs for a walk and to report to the Birkirkara police station. He is to report to the police in case of visiting his lawyers, doctors and vets.

Police Inspectors Daniel Zammit and Ramon Mercieca prosecuted while Dr Anglu Farrugia and Dr Edward Gatt appeared for the accused.