A butcher was acquitted of running an illegal abattoir because animal entrails found at his farm came from the government slaughterhouse.

Animal welfare officers inspected the farm in Tal-Bajjada Street, Qormi, on August 6, 2010, and found bloodied knives and other implements connected to the slaughter of animals.

Giovanni Bajada, 72, told the court that the implements used to belong to his late father who had also been a butcher and he decided to keep them because of their sentimental value.

He said he had used the knives at the government slaughterhouse and then took them home to wash them.

When asked about the animal intestines, he said these too were taken home from the slaughterhouse to give to an Arab man who used them to make osban sausages.

He said he had bought the pigs’ heads from the slaughterhouse.

Veterinarian Duncan Chetcuti said six untagged sheep had also been found, however, that was the Veterinarian Department’s mistake.

He said that there did not appear to be any slaughtering on the premises. What seemed irregular to him was the deboning of the pigs’ heads.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit concluded that the prosecution had not proved its case against Mr Bajada.

While the state of hygiene of the place was debatable, the court had more than just a reasonable doubt about the case of the prosecution.