Bail for hunter facing manslaughter charges

The hunter charged with the manslaughter of his 50-year-old uncle was yesterday released on bail after a magistrate upheld a request filed by his lawyers.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera granted 22-year-old Kevin Fenech bail and bound him by a Lm1,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of the same amount.

Mr Fenech, a police officer from Zejtun, is being charged with the involuntary homicide of his uncle, Angelo Seychell, when pellets fired from his shotgun fatally wounded Mr Seychell in Zejtun at about 7.15 a.m. on Saturday.

During the arraignment the magistrate had declared Mr Fenech's state of arrest illegal and ordered his release. But the Attorney General filed an application asking the Criminal Court to revoke the magistrate's ruling arguing that the prosecution had been justified to arraign Mr Fenech under arrest.

The Criminal Court upheld the request on Thursday and declared the arrest legal and ordered Mr Fenech's re-arrest.

That was when his defence team - made up of lawyers Malcolm Mifsud, Cedric Mifsud and John Bonello - filed an application for bail in the Magistrates' Court.

Police Inspector Carmelo Bartolo and Chris Pullicino are prosecuting.