A Gozitan man has been given a one-year jail term suspended for two years for exhibiting a false receipt in court.

Martin Vella was also interdicted for five years.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard how a civil case in the names Francis Caruana Company Limited against Savio Spiteri was decided in the company's favour. The company had resorted to court action to take what Mr Spiteri owed it.

Mr Vella exhibited documents showing that furniture that was at the centre of the case belonged to him and not to Mr Spiteri and, therefore, a warrant of seizure issued by the court on the furniture was no longer valid.

When the police looked into the matter they discovered that Mr Vella had never purchased the items he claimed were his when he exhibited a receipt in court.

The magistrate heard how Mr Spiteri had asked Mr Vella to claim the items were his so that he would not lose them in the court auction.

The magistrate also heard a psychiatrist explain that Mr Vella was an illiterate man with a low level of intelligence but was capable of distinguishing between good and bad.