A man who reported that the owner of a neighbouring field had shot a dog, and then retracted his report only for the police to find it was true, was this morning acquitted by a court of filing a false report.

The case goes back to June 2011,

Carmel Sacco, 46 of Kirkop, had told the police that Alfred Vella, with whom he used to have arguments over property issues, had shot the dog - which was subsequently named Star when it was found almost totally buried in Birzebbugia.

While police investigations were under way, the man withdrew his claim, and he was subsequently charged in court with filing a false police report, a charge he admitted.

But the police then established that the report was actually true, whereupon Mr Sacco withdrew his admission.

He was today acquitted of having filed a false report.

Drs Franco Debono and Gialnluca Caruana Curran were defence counsel.

(Mr Vella was condemned to a three-month jail term and fined €10,000 for shooting Star)