Judgment declared null

A man who was jailed for trying to rape a woman will have his case decided again after an appeal court ruled that the original judgment was null.

Anthony Cutajar had been jailed for 18 months after the Magistrates' Court found him guilty of holding a woman against her will, trying to rape her and seriously injuring her in April 2002.

Mr Cutajar filed an appeal and Mr Justice David Scicluna, sitting in the Court of Criminal Appeal, noted that the first court had failed to pronounce itself on one of the charges brought against Mr Cutajar.

The judge pointed out that the first court had not declared whether or not Mr Cutajar was found guilty of seriously injuring the woman. This made the judgment null and the judge sent the case back to the Magistrates' Court to decide the case again.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Charmaine Cherrett appeared for the accused.