An administrative mix-up over the date of an appeal hearing nearly cost a man €1,700 before the mistake was flagged by a lawyer.

Matthew Mifsud had been accused of damaging third party property when building a concrete slab on his roof.

Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, who presided over the case's appeal, had scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2018. But on that date the sentencing was put off to January 30, 2109.

In the meantime judge Mizzi had retired and the case was assigned to Madam Justice Edwina Grima, with the date being shifted to January 25. However, some days before this date, Mr Mifsud had been called up by the court usher and informed that the sitting was cancelled and to expect a new notification.

Read: Court registrar's mistake almost lands man in jail

Mr Mifsud had informed his lawyer and nobody had attended the sitting on January 25 – but instead of receiving a new sitting notification, he had received orders for the immediate payment of €1,730.54 as he had been found guilty in his absence.

His lawyer, Jason Grima, had immediately filed an appeal arguing that it was an unfortunate mix-up by the court authorities for which the accused had no fault.

He further argued that the order for payment also specified the wrong date – January 30 – when it was actually given on January 25.

In a decree handed down on March 1, Madam Justice Edwina Grima upheld the request, rescheduling the appeal hearing to May 8.

Read: Magistrate to re-hear case after court administration mistake