A 23-year-old man who admitted to his involvement in the involuntary homicide of a friend through a drug overdose when the two were 16 years old, was freed by a court this morning.

The man was accused of having trafficked drugs within 100 metres of a place frequented by children and with having shared the drug with a friend, causing his involuntary homicide.

The case happened in 2006, when the two were 16 years old.

The court heard how they used to meet near the reservoir at Zejtun, where they shared drugs.

On February 25, 2006 they met as they usually did, but shortly afterwards the friend suffered a drug overdose at his brother's house.

The court noted that according to the prosecution, the accused had made a statement to the police where he admitted his involvement. He also took the police to the place where the drugs were hidden.

However he was not accompanied by a lawyer or even his parents when the statement was given. 

The court said it considered the accused to have been a vulnerable person, and his statement was therefore inadmissible. Legal amendments on assistance by legal counsel during interrogation came too late for this case.

His testimony before the inquiring magistrate was not exhibited in court.

Since there was no other evidence linking the accused to the crime, he was being acquitted, and the court urged him to start a new life away from crime.

Names are not being published since both the accused and the victim were children at the time of the crime.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto was defence counsel.