A man has had a conviction and fine for illegal trapping revoked after an appeals court ruled that it had not been satisfactorily proved that he was on the site where illegal trapping was taking place.

Emanuel Muscat, of Dingli, had been fined €700 by a magistrates' court when he was found guilty of trapping during the closed season on November 4, 2012.

He successfully argued before the Appeals Court that he was not on the site where the police reported finding traps and nets. 

He also denied a police sergeant's claim that he had admitted to trapping.

He said he had only admitted that the traps belonged to him, but, he said, the nets were not his.

He produced a doctor's certificate to show that on the day he was at home on sick leave.