Discrepancy in dates leads to acquittal

An appeals court acquitted a woman jailed for loitering after a policeman failed to verify the crime took place on the dates indicated on the charge sheet.

Caroline Grech was jailed for two weeks on January 9 after she was found guilty of loitering at about 2 a.m. on May 13, 2007. She appealed, saying she could not understand why the court had found her guilty.

The Criminal Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, said that PC Danny Busuttil could not verify that she was actually loitering on May 13. His notes indicated different dates.

The court said there was no other evidence to incriminate her and she was thus acquitted of all the charges.