A Maltese hunter was spared a conviction after being found in possession of a Eurasian Jay upon his return from an organised hunting expedition in Estonia.

On Wednesday morning, Peter Paul Cilia took the witness stand to testify how he had joined fellow hunting enthusiasts on a trip to Estonia, their itinerary mapped out and all arrangements taken care of by a foreign agent.

It was on the final day of the trip that the group were allegedly accompanied to an area of countryside close to the Russian border, where they were to enjoy their last hunting spree before returning to Malta.

Catching sight of a particular species identified as the Eurasian Jay, the hunters had contacted their Estonian guide to check whether the bird could be hunted on Estonian territory.

Having been given the green light by the local guide, the Maltese hunters proceeded with their expedition, only one of them, namely the accused, managing to shoot down a Eurasian Jay.

Before catching a flight back home, Mr Cilia declared all his prized possessions at customs control and was given the all clear by the Estonian authorities.

However, upon arrival in Malta, the hunter was in for a nasty surprise when, after declaring all the hunted specimen shot down in Estonia, he was informed that the Eurasian Jay could only be hunted under a special permit which, in this case, had been lacking.

During an Administrative Law Enforcement sitting, presided over by magistrate Anthony Vella, the man was charged with having imported the particular specimen without the necessary documentation proving that it had been lawfully hunted.

Lawyer Peter Fenech, assisting the accused, argued that the charge of importation could not subsist since his client had declared his possessions in the customs free area of the airport, which meant that the bird had not yet been imported into the country.

As for the other charges, it was argued that foreign customs authorities had not stopped his client on his way out of Estonia.

Moreover, the bird was hunted in some 14 countries where, in certain places it was even considered to be a pest, Dr Fenech pointed out.

“Yes it’s true that my client has no material document to prove his claim, but is he to be held criminally responsible simply for this?” the lawyer continued.

Upon the basis of all evidence put forward, the court cleared the hunter of all charges.

Inspector Colin Sheldon prosecuted.