Teenager cleared of murder

Jurors yesterday found Glen Pullicino not guilty of the murder of 23-year-old Brian Tabone by six votes to three but found him guilty of causing a serious injury that led to the victim's death when acting in excessive self-defence.

The incident was sparked off by a fight outside Bamboo Bar, in Paceville on March 17, 2002, at about 5.45 p.m.

Pullicino, 17, of Zebbug, was the youngest person ever charged and tried for murder in Malta, police and crime historian Eddie Attard said when contacted.

The teenager was also found guilty of the possession of a knife at the time of the commission of the crime by the same vote.

The verdict in the 10-day trial was reached after about 11 hours of deliberations that started on Thursday morning and ended yesterday at 10.30 a.m.

After the foreman read out the verdict Pullicino's defence counsel - made up of Dr Giannella Caruana Curran, Dr Emanuel Mallia, Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr John Attard Montalto - moved on to make submissions on punishment.

They called on Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono to take note of the fact that Pullicino was only 15 at the time of the commission of the crime, that he had a clean criminal record and that the verdict suggested he had acted in excessive self defence when caught in a fight.

Assistant Attorney General Dr Anthony Barbara noted that jurors had found Pullicino guilty of the possession of a knife, without which the fight would not have ended in a death.

Mr Justice Galea Debono put off the case to Thursday at 11 a.m. for judgement.

Christopher Agius, 19, of Zebbug was yesterday charged with perjury when testifying in the trial on Wednesday.

Agius, who was represented by Dr José Herrera, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm1,000.

Inspector Pierre Micallef Grimaud prosecuted.