A civil court has awarded damages to a man who two years ago was sentenced to jail following his conviction for a drug-related offence which was based solely on a statement released under police interrogation without the assistance of a lawyer.

Daniel Gatt was just 18 years when in the early hours of June 29, 2008 he was taken into police custody and questioned after two women were caught red-handed abusing drugs outside a nightclub in the limits of Rabat.

One of the women, Mr Gatt's girlfriend, had confessed that the drug had been supplied by her boyfriend.

Under police interrogation, Mr Gatt had admitted to having purchased one gram of cocaine a week earlier to share with his girlfriend.

This statement, released without any legal assistance, led to the arraignment and subsequent conviction of the accused who in November 2014 was sentenced to six months in jail.

The man appealed the judgment and also filed a constitutional application claiming that his fundamental right to a fair hearing had been violated.

The First Hall, Civil Court, presided by Mr Justice Silvio Meli, upheld the claim and declared that Mr Gatt's fundamental human rights had indeed been breached.

As an 18-year-old without any former experience of a police interrogation, Mr Gatt's statement was self-incriminating. The court observed that the man's conviction by the magistrate's court had been based on that statement.

Although at the time of the interrogation the law did not provide for legal assistance of a suspect, the court concluded that Mr Gatt's right to a fair hearing had been violated and awarded him €2,500 by way of compensation for the personal damages suffered.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia represented Mr Gatt.

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