Judge jails man for 25 years

Mariano Grixti, 49 from Zurrieq was jailed by Judge Michael Mallia after finding him guilty at the end of a week's trial by bench, for the attempted murder of two men in 2005.

Grixti had handed himself to the police soon after shooting at Joseph Mifsud and his 15 year-old son Redeemer when an argument broke out over a dividing rubble wall between their fields.

The victims - who during the trial were assisted by lawyer Franco Debono and Charmaine Cherrett - had been seriously wounded by lead pellets.

But Grixti argued that he had fired the shotgun in self defence after he was attacked by the victims who did not allow him to rebuild the wall.