A postman was cleared of intentionally failing to deliver letters after a magistrate concluded he had been negligent but had no bad intentions.

Yessous Camilleri, 20, from Valletta, was charged with failing to deliver the letters between May and July 2011.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia heard that it was normal practice for postmen to use their own cars to deliver the mail.

Their vehicles would be subjected to checks by postal office inspectors.

It transpired that he had failed to deliver 29 letters, some of which were left in his car when he had to go to hospital, where he had an appointment.

The others had been found in his car on another two occasions. He insisted they were there because they needed to be sorted and so he decided to take them back to the post office.

Magistrate Farrugia said that Mr Camilleri’s behaviour stemmed from negligence and not from criminal intent not to deliver the mail. He was therefore acquitted.