A man was yesterday acquitted of phoning the court house and making a bomb threat after a magistrate could not conclusively determine whether the call was placed by the accused or his father who shares the same name and house.

The number of the mobile phone from which the threatening call was placed, on December 7, 2007, came up on the caller identification system in the court house.

Peter Borg, who was living in the same house as his father, also called Peter, was charged with making the call. However, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli said it could not be ascertained whether it was the father or his son who had made the call and because of this doubt the accused could not be found guilty.

Police Superintendent Carmelo Magri prosecuted.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Gianella Caruana Curran appeared for Mr Borg.