The Policía Nacional in Motril have arrested a Romanian man in his 40s for firing an air rifle at several people.

The 44-year-old man had a violent argument with another man of the same nationality, whom he had threatened to kill, along with his family, which is not exactly neighbourly and not conducive of a Christmas card exchange.

The source of the discord appears to be a 2nd-hand car purchase with an outstanding payment.

The incident took place in the early hours of the last day of August, starting with the appearance of four Romanians aged between 37 and 47 at the cortijo where the aggressor lives. The ‘visit’ was to obtain the sum outstanding on the car sale.

So, let’s take a shufty at the car-sale arrangement, which took place three months previously. The ‘Rifleman’ (do you remember the series?) purchased the said car from a friend (ex-friend) for the agreed sum of 22,000 euros as it was a high-range vehicle. The arrangement was 10,000 down and 12,000 to be paid pretty pronto.

Alas, during the three months since the down payment was made and the car changing hands, no reluctant 12,000 euros had winged their way to the previous owner, despite repetitive but expired promises of coughing up. Hence the social call at the said cortijo on the outskirts of Motril.

The 38-year-old victim was accompanied by three other men (relatives) whose presence indicated no more delays would be acceptable.

Instead of the 12,000 euros they received pellet-gun wounds, which, let’s be honest, might sting like hell and even draw blood but no widow would be cashing in a life insurance as a result.

The ‘visitors’ jumped into their car, noting that it was being hit, and sped off and informed the police. The Policía Nacional went to the cortijo, found the air rifle and a small tin of pellets, and arrested the man.

And so ends the shoot out at the OK Corrals a-la-Motrileña.

(News: Dodge City, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)