Convicted bus driver files appeal

The Gozitan bus driver Ġanni Attard, who was jailed for life last month for being an accomplice in the 2001 murder of traffic warden Fortunata Spiteri, has filed an appeal.

The 64-year-old, also known as Il-Muħa, was found guilty of his involvement in the murder following a marathon 24 hours of deliberation by the jurors, although he was acquitted of actually killing her.

In the appeal, Mr Attard’s defence lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace claimed the jurors had been misled by Mr Justice Michael Mallia in his summing up of the evidence.

Furthermore, the judge had gone further than was allowed by law in his explanation of the charges, witnesses and evidence, when he told the jurors that his client’s version of events as given in his police statement was incorrect.

Dr Micallef Stafrace also argued that his client was found guilty when there was insufficient evidence, which raised serious doubts about his involvement in the first place.

The prosecution had built its case around a so-called admission which was not an admission but rather an explanation of how he accidentally became involved.

In his last grievance, the lawyer said that the judge had failed to keep emotions out of sentencing when he jailed the accused for life – an excessive sentence.

The case continues.