Adds judge's sentence

A Libyan man who stabbed a friend during a fight was this evening found not guilty of attempted murder since he had acted in self defence.

Moamr Ali Melad Eltarhuni, 27, was found guilty of grievously injuring Shokri Ali Alalwani but the jury said that was excusable because of 'sudden passion.

The accused was found guilty of illegal possession of a knife. He was jailed for a year, but since he has already spent seven months in preventive custody, he is expected to be a free man in about a month.

The stabbing took place on May 25, 2006 in Marsascala.

The accused yesterday told the court that on the day in question he was at the flat when Mr Alalwani came in very drunk.

He was watching television and his friend went straight to his own bedroom looking for a CD. When Mr Alalwani failed to find it, he asked Mr Eltarhuni for it but the accused told him he knew nothing about it.

For no reason at all, however, his friend began punching him in the head "very hard and with all his strength".

He was frightened, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed him with it. He could not remember much about the incident from that point on, saying he left the flat and spent the night by the sea.

After the verdict was read this afternoon, defence counsel Joe Brincat asked the court to consider that the accused was young, that he had no criminal record, and that he had cooperated with the police. He said that in such circumstances, a suspended sentence would be adequate.

The prosecution said this was a serious case where a person was stabbed. Such crimes should not be tolerated and incarceration was in order.