Hunter loses opportunity to get compensation from another hunter

A hunter who was hit in the eye with a piece of lead from the gunshot of a fellow hunter lost his chance to be awarded compensation because his case was time-barred.

Carmelo Vella, 55, filed the court case too late, missing his chance to be awarded compensation from the accident that took place in 2004.

Mr Vella filed a case against Stanley Cardona in the First Hall of the Civil Court in connection with the April 2004 accident which took place in the limits of Qormi.

He said that on 9 April of the year in question, at around 8am while hunting, he was hit by a piece of lead after Mr Cardona fired his gun. The pair were both hunting that morning.

He said that he was hit in his left eye, his head and his chest. Doctors decided not to remove the lead for fear of it causing more damage than good.

The possibility of the lead infecting his skin, blood and nerves is a genuine fear of Mr Vella, the courts heard. He also said that due to the injuries suffered, he could no longer work and is therefore requesting his “just compensation.”

On the other hand, Mr Cardona argued that the case was timebarred and could not be dealt with after so much time has passed.

Judge Silvio Meli, presiding over the case, remarked that while Mr Vella claimed that the incident took place on 9 April, 2014, the official letters presented in the case say it happened on 19 April, 2004.

Judge Meli noted that while Mr Cardona admitted to the accusations brought against him, admitting that he received an inferior penalty than what should have been given, he noted how Mr Vella filed the case on 7 March, 2014, nine years and 10 months after the incident took place.

For this reason, he declared that Mr Vella filed the case too late and declared it to be time-barred.