A magistrate has found no criminal intent in the failure of a postman to deliver 66 letters and parcels in protest at his working conditions.

Although Magistrate Ian Farrugia ruled that Anthony Zammit, 36, had failed in his duties when he did not deliver the letters, he noted no criminal intent could be attributed to the postman.

The magistrate heard that Mr Zammit, from Żabbar, refused to deliver the letters on November 24, 2008.

In court, Mr Zammit did not deny failing to deliver the letters but said he had done so out of protest as his complaints about working hours, overtime and overall working conditions had fallen on deaf ears. He noted that Mr Zammit was still employed with Maltapost, which indicated the company still trusted him.

While Mr Zammit had undoubtedly failed his duties, the court understood the reasoning behind his actions and complaints.

While he could have got his message across in other ways, his actions did not warrant a criminal conviction. Police Inspector Fabian Fleri prosecuted, while lawyer John Bonello appeared for Mr Zammit.