Man pleads not guilty to Kalkara murder

Godwin Scicluna, 52 of Kalkara was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to a murder and three attempted murders.

Scicluna has been charged with the murder of Joseph Caruana, 61, and the attempted murder of his former partner, Simone Caruana, and two of their daughters - aged 3 and 5 repsectively.

He is also being accused of grievously injuring Simone Caruana and the 3-year-old child.

The murder happened yesterday morning in Kalkara. The elderly man, Simone's father, was shot at when he rushed into Scicluna's residence to calm down an argument between the estranged couple.

The argument, which allegedly started over a photocamera, escalated and Scicluna brought out a shotgun, loaded the weapon and threatened the woman. One of their young children ran out of the residence and told her grandfather who was waiting in the car outside.

The elderly man entered the house and tried to calm down the argument but was shot in the back and neck. Scicluna, the court heard, turned the gun on his former partner and their children.

Simone Caruana ran from the scene and knocked on the door of an off duty police constable who let her in. The woman had been shot in the back and neck. Two of the four children were also injured in the incident.

Scicluna was arrested moments later by the officer who found him sitting in the yard smoking a cigarette. The shotgun used in the murder was found on the floor smashed into pieces.

Scicluna was also charged with stealing a shotgun and ammunition back in April 2003 from a garage in Zabbar, damaging private property, handling stolen items including a Winchester shotgun and an air rifle, firing an unlicensed weapon in a residential area, keeping an unlicensed shotgun, and relapsing. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Magistrate Marsanne Farrugia remanded Caruana in custody.

The head of the Homicide Section, Inspector Keith Arnaud, CID Inspector Chris Pullicino and District Inspector Robert Said Sarreo prosecuted.

Legal aid lawyer Joseph Ellis appeared for the accused.