A 34 year old Belgian man has been arrested in Marbella and charged with the attempted murder of his 25 year old Rumanian wife, who is being treated at the Costa del Sol Hospital for a gunshot wound to her right leg.

The woman initially claimed that she had shot herself accidentally while cleaning the gun, but a number of inconsistencies in her account led investigators to doubt her story, and she finally broke down and admitted that she had been shot during a disagreement.

Her husband, who had changed his blood-spattered clothes, was apprehended not far from the hospital and taken into custody.

The weapon used -a Smith and Wesson calibre 357 Magnum- was found in possession of the Belgian man's brother, who had removed it from the scene to prevent its discovery.