Three-month reprieve in man's jail term

A Zurrieq man originally jailed for four months following two judgments finding him guilty of having exercised a presumed right yesterday obtained a reprieve of three months after a court ruled it did not feel it should jail him, on one occasion, for obstructing the road with manure.

Alfred Farrugia, 54, was twice jailed for two months by the Magistrates' Court. On one occasion he was found guilty of hindering Sylvia Debono and Frans, Antoinette and Carmen Gauci from using a path to access their field in Zurrieq by obstructing the path with 13 mounds of manure on July 4, 2001.

On the second occasion he was found guilty of assaulting and threatening Antoinette and Carmen Gauci and setting his dogs on them on the path on July 28, 2001.

Farrugia appealed, claiming, among other things, that the Magistrates' Court judgments were too harsh.

Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano noted there were many disputes between the field owners and ruled he did not feel Farrugia should be jailed for dumping manure in the path and so converted the two-month jail term to a Lm300 fine.

On the second appeal, Chief Justice De Gaetano acquitted Farrugia of assault and decided to apply the punishment in its minimum, that of one month in jail.