Updated 9.35pm

Gerald Galea has been found guilty of the murder of 54-year-old John Spiteri but acquitted of the attempted murder of his son, Matthew, one afternoon in June 2013.

Mr Galea has been sentenced to 15 months in jail, less the time that he has already spent in preventive arrest. His lawyers say this means he will effectively be free in two months' time.

Mr Galea had angrily told the father and son to stop pruning a tamarisk tree at a car park in Qbajjar and insisted he would not tolerate the two setting up a kiosk there. He then ran over the father, killing him.

Read: Murder trial: ‘My father was crushed’

The jurors found him guilty of excusable homicide, acknowledging that there had been an element of provocation. He was cleared of attempting to murder the son.

Lawyers Giannella Busuttil and Kevin Valletta from the AG’s Office prosecuted, lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Arthur Azzopardi were defence counsel, and lawyer Joseph Giglio appeared parte civile.

 

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