A 74-year-old man accused of shooting two police officers admitted firing in their direction after warning them not to enter and that he would defend himself, because he believed they had sided with a contractor with whom he was in dispute, a court heard on Wednesday during the compilation of evidence against him.

John Agius, who is pleading not guilty to two counts of attempted murder, told police that years of development had transformed the area surrounding his home, leading to repeated disputes and court cases involving construction in the neighbourhood.

His account emerged during the compilation of evidence against him over the 24 July shooting of Special Intervention Unit constables Johann Vella and Omar Sharif.

Agius said that fields had once surrounded his home but were gradually developed over the years. He said he was involved in an ongoing dispute with the owner of a neighbouring property and had refused to allow workers onto his property to plaster a party wall.

On the day of the shooting, Agius said he saw plasterers working from a crane above his property despite having refused them access.

"They ignored me," he told police.

Agius said he remained in his yard and decided that "today someone will get hurt".

He gathered rubbish beneath where the workers were operating and repeatedly warned that he would set it on fire if they continued plastering.

Agius eventually set the rubbish alight using petrol from a nearby fuel station which had been brought to him by his brother, Ġorġ Agius. He told investigators that his brother did not know what he intended to do with the fuel.

When police arrived at the property, Agius said he warned them against entering.

"Don't come in, because I will defend myself," he recalled telling them.

Agius said that he felt betrayed, believing the police had gone there to defend the contractor rather than protect him.

His distrust of the police, he said, also stemmed from an incident around six years earlier when officers at the St Julian's police station had allegedly pushed him.

Agius admitted firing in the officers' direction and described the first shot as a warning.

Asked why he had not instead fired the warning shot into the air, Agius said that, with hindsight, he would have acted differently.

He also admitted firing a second shot and confirmed that he knew those entering his property were police officers.

Agius maintained that he had been trying to defend himself from officers whom he believed had taken the contractor's side.

He also said that he legally owned the shotgun because he was a hunter.

Inspector Christian Xuereb meanwhile described the moments after Vella was shot in the face and neck.

Xuereb said he saw Vella collapse after being hit and described the injured officer as appearing to be "crying blood, especially from his right eye".

Vella was also struggling to breathe as fellow officers dragged him away from the line of fire.

Constable Omar Sharif had already been shot by that point.

Emergency consultant Chris Giordemaina testified that Vella was immediately classified as having life-threatening injuries when he arrived at Mater Dei Hospital's emergency department at 12.28pm.

Vella had to be intubated in an emergency and underwent surgery after suffering multiple puncture wounds to his face and neck.

The officer also suffered damage to his right carotid artery, creating a serious risk of suffering a stroke, while doctors feared that he could lose sight in his right eye.

His injuries extended beyond his face and neck. Vella suffered two collapsed lungs, bleeding in his left lung, multiple lung lacerations and bleeding in the oesophagus.

The court heard that one of the pellets had lodged extremely close to the lower thoracic aorta, a major artery which carries blood from the heart.

"Had he been hit there, he would have died on the spot," Giordemaina told Magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil.

Agius told police that he wanted to visit Vella while the officer was recovering in hospital. Vella was discharged from hospital this week.

Emergency consultant Erica Hoekstra also testified about the injuries sustained by Constable Omar Sharif.

Sharif suffered comparatively minor injuries, including a round lesion measuring around half a centimetre on the right side of his neck.

Similar lesions were found on his left forearm, while several others were found on his leg.

Agius's brother, Ġorġ, was called to the witness stand during Wednesday's sitting but exercised his right not to testify.

Prosecutors said they did not intend to file charges against him.

He had previously told police that he brought fuel to his brother and then left the scene, without knowing what Agius intended to use it for.

The court also heard evidence about the accused's firearms.

A police sergeant testified that Agius held a collector's licence and owned two revolvers and four shotguns.

The licence entitled him to possess the weapons but did not permit him to use them, the court heard.

At the end of Wednesday's sitting, Magistrate Camilleri Busuttil ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented for the case against Agius to continue.

Proceedings will resume on 23 September.

The prosecution is being led by Inspectors Joseph Mercieca, Stephen Gulia and Christian Xuereb together with Attorney General lawyers Kaylee Bonett and Joseph Camilleri Azarov.

Lawyer Thomas Sant is appearing for John Agius.