Sheehan says he shot at the tyres (but somehow hit the windscreen instead)
If we are going to accept the explanation that this was about a ‘habta’ then we are also going to have to conclude that Sheehan is a violently unbalanced nutcase and that there is something seriously wrong with Manuel Mallia’s psychology in choosing him and also putting his small daughter in Sheehan’s care at night.
The wasted cartridges (which I believe is the terminology they use) were not found, the police superintendent told the court this morning, despite searches for them.
Some background: Two men were, however, seen hunting for them in Triq Wied Il-Kappara soon after the shooting. Inspector Gabriel Micallef, head of the Drug Squad and brother to Sheehan’s girlfriend Dolcieann Farrugia/Micallef, is suspected of having been one of those who surreptitiously removed the wasted cartridges. It was reported that he was on forced leave, but I have just been told that this can’t be so because he was seen at Police HQ this morning.
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-12-09/local-news/Compilation-of-evidence-against-Paul-Sheehan-starts-in-court-Inspector-Mamo-first-to-testify-6736127026
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141209/local/updated-shooting-victim-felt-relief-when-he-saw-the-police-and-was-arrested.547557
‘He (Sheehan) went to get his car and gun and drove in the direction indicated by Mr Grech.’
Get the gun from where? Should a loaded gun be anywhere except in his possession at all times?
Was the gun in the parked car on the street in Gzira?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141209/local/updated-shooting-victim-felt-relief-when-he-saw-the-police-and-was-arrested.547557
Because of Sheehan’s arrogance, lack of discretion and foresight, Minister Mallia lost his job. Acting Commissioner Zammit lost his job. Inspector Micallef will be arraigned with many other police officers.
He is not even worth being a policeman himself. I shudder to think if there are others like him in the corps.
Actually they lost their jobs/were demoted because they felt that defending this person was more important than bring transparent with us the people.
Now why would ‘shooting at tyres’ not be mentioned even one single time in the calls made?
‘Nahlih fuqhek, sparajtlu, nisparalu’. Not even a stretch will get one there.
One of the tyres must have been on the roof-rack.
‘The wasted cartridges were not found’
Has anyone checked the National Pool for leaks?
“The wasted cartridges (which I believe is the terminology they use) ”
Perhaps not the most important issue but I think they are called ‘spent casings’ or sometimes ‘spent cartridges’
I think ‘wasted’ is a Maltese corruption because we tend to use ‘mohli’ (wasted) instead of ‘uzat’ (used).
For instance we might say ‘hlejt hamsin ewro petrol’ when we really mean that we have used the petrol not literally wasted it.
Simon Busuttil was again excellent u kif nghidu ahna l-hamalli rega mesa l-art bih.
Why worry? Mallia’s next job will be Louis Galea’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnqa6oZ0-FM
This one precedes the above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Om2AqAidk
I think these three conversations indicate who masterminded the whole affair.
Contradictory instructions, ‘il-ministru jirbah’.
Given that the minister had just spoken to the press, scrapping the OPM’s statement, the ‘correct’ version must be in line.
Envelopes and mobile calls to avoid recording the calls. Can we please get hold of that envelope?
And did Muscat remember when he received those calls?
And another thing, wasn’t Zammit at the Office of the Prime Minister that very same morning?
I really don’t think this case should be closed.
”PC Sheehan, who is pleading not guilty to attempted murder, using violence against Mr Smith, causing voluntary damage to a vehicle, discharging a firearm in a public place and exceeding the limits of his authority as a police officer.”
Where are the charges of dangerous driving while conducting a car chase, driving while using a mobile phone, lying to deploy emergency services, threatening with a weapon, leaving his weapon unattended (? in a parked car), lying to his superiors, bringing the Police force into disrepute, colluding for the tempering of evidence, giving false testimony to the police to the detriment of a third party, commiting a crime he was duty bound to prevent?
Seems like he is getting a bargain.
What was he, some 4ft off the mark? U ijja!
What would have happened if the bullet hit one of the tyres?
[Daphne – The driver loses control of the car, with risk to life and property.]
Where/who are the civilians who helped apprehend Smith under the tunnel ?
Joseph Muscat has just dismissed Don Manwel Mallia.
The Prime Minister has just done what he should have done three weeks ago.
You’ve got to love the Prime Minister’s hindsight.
Initiative is doing the right thing without being told. – Hugo/Bartolo.
Whistle Blower Act is telling the true thing without being done.
This is what I have learnt about the Labour Party and Muscat during this whole shooting saga.
1) If the Labour Party can get away with something, it will. It doesn’t matter what that something is, because even if it is something as bad as drugs or gun crime, so long as there isn’t enough evidence to prove it, and so long as their made-up story holds water in some way, they will go ahead.
There will be no sense of urgency or panic in the face of what that horrid crime is. They won’t hear about what happened and say, “Oh my God. That’s terrible. We can’t have that. Let’s do the right thing”. They will be more focused on how to get away with it all, than how it all reflects on them.
2) Many Labour supporters not only feel the same way, but also expect their leaders to come up with ways of getting out of it that are cunning and bolshie. They like that sort of thing. What damages their support for the party is not bad actions. It is the inability to wiggle your way out of it.
3) If they do get caught, they will do their utmost to delay any course of action that needs to be taken, just to see exactly how much they can get away with. What does this say about Dalli, for example?
4) Although Muscat likes to walk all over any opposition or objections to his “style” of governing – which is what his core supporters like to see him do – he is aware that the only reason why he is there is hysteria. Hysteria is easily quelled when facts are presented, so when facts show up that hysteria is threatened. Better to get things out of the way before those facts show up, because then the hysteria will be difficult to bring back.
5) Labour supporters don’t care what their MPs do. They just want them in power.
All this, and much more, informs me on other issues like that of Cyrus Engerer and Dalli. It’s one thing thinking something is possible, but it is another thing actually seeing how they all work.
Muscat can only deceive while the facts are not presented, which is why he always holds his cards very close to his chest, and reveals little if anything. But when the facts do come to light, we can see exactly how the Labour Party works, thinks and gets things done.
Will Silvio Scerri move in with Abela?
Why would he remove the cartridges if he told everyone that he shot at Smith?
[Daphne – Perhaps he spoke to his lawyer?]
Pedant alert: “Spent cartridge” I believe is the proper term.
[Daphne – Yes, I know that. But apparently the people at the police armoury record them as wasted cartridges. You have to return your wasted cartridges along with your live bullets and they’re recorded in the register.]
The recording between Paul Sheehan and Police Headquarters, in which he is heard firing two shots from his pistol, seems to indicate it was not in its holster when he rang them.
One does not hear Sheehan fumbling to take his pistol out of his holster. This would seem to indicate that even at that point his gun was already pointed at Stephen Smith.
[Daphne – It was. The eyewitness accounts of that were published on this website and Malta Right Now that same night, long before the government issued its statement about ‘warning shots’. The eyewitnesses saw Sheehan pointing his gun at Smith before Smith got away.]
Another curious thing is that Stephen Smith seems to have understood Sheehan’s threat to discharge the entire clip of his pistol on him if he dared move.
This statement was made in Maltese and Smith seems to have complied which implies that he understood the command.
[Daphne – Smith speaks perfect Maltese. He even speaks English with a Maltese accent. He has lived in Malta all his life and went to school here.]
Also, in the Youtube clip you uploaded on your blog some time ago, it seems clear that Stephen Smith has lived in Malta all his life and that he probably understands Maltese perfectly. In view of the above, why is it that Stephen Smith requested a translator and the ability testify in English at today’s court hearing?
I have little hope that the truth about this whole sordid affair shall ever come to light.
[Daphne – I don’t, either.]
A curiosity I came across in one of the newspaper reports on the court hearing was that Smith spoke in English and Sheehan had to be given an interpreter because he couldn’t understand the language.
Apart from the oddity about Smith insisting on English in court, is it even possible for a policeman to not understand English?
[Daphne – Yes. Face it, he can’t even speak Maltese.]
Owen inghata l-PBS fid-dekasteru tieghu. Ghandu fejn jinkludi soap operas kemm irid.
It hasn’t been a better moment than this to play this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5dNnxqv6zA
The irony!
Mallia finally ‘shot’ out. Carmelo Abela new Minister of Interior -ergo Police and Army. Broadcasting moved under Justice and Culture; Minister Owen Bonnici.
So is Mallia in the oubliette?
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-12-08/blogs-opinions/The-banality-of-evil-6736127012
”If it hadn’t been for a handful of free journalists and the Opposition, this incident could have been concealed from the scrutiny of the public, the perpetrators would have revelled in the complacency of the un-reacting uninformed masses, and then reinforced their abusive and bullying behaviour.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141209/local/a-hole-lot-of-trouble-man-arrested-for-filling-pedestrian-hazard-with-concrete.547539
When I watched his clip, I thought that the police had turned up to help this gentleman not hinder him and later arrest him.
Muscat says he wants to restore trust in the police. I’m in stitches. This Sheehan episode is just one instance.
Take Inspector Louise Calleja. She was head of the Vice Squad. She is accused of having arraigned and prosecuted an innocent man who ended up for over a year in jail.
What does she get? Even before it was discovered what she had done, they created a special job for her at the airport so she gets special privileges like conferences abroad. That is how Labour ‘punishes’ evil.
Mallia = Dalle stelle alle stalle
I’ve just had a horrible thought.
Chief Justice is up for grabs soon.
No it is not.