Two students were yesterday cleared of trying to damage a US warship about three years ago but were conditionally discharged for involuntarily damaging police uniforms with red paint spilt as they approached the vessel.

John Axiak, 24, and a 19-year-old, whose name is not being published as he was a minor at the time of the crime, were found not guilty of trying to cause damage to naval vessel USS O'Bannon berthed at the Grand Harbour on December 31, 2004.

They were also cleared of committing an offence against a public official, causing damage to the property of Viset at the Valletta Waterfront and trespassing.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi heard that the two young men had been waiting in the queue to board the MV Doulos that was in Malta selling books and was docked next to the naval vessel. Two police officers saw them jump over barriers and approach the naval vessel carrying red paint.

The officers had to physically stop the two students from getting any closer after they repeatedly ignored their orders to keep back. The officer's uniforms got stained with red paint in the process.

When the two students were arrested they claimed to be activists from Moviment Graffitti.

Magistrate Mizzi decided that the young men had not caused any damage to the naval vessel and they only caused involuntary damage to the uniforms.

The court fined them €100 (Lm42.91) for the damage caused to the uniforms and conditionally discharged them for six months.

Following their arraignment in January 2005, Moviment Graffitti had issued a statement dissociating itself from the attempted paint-throwing attack on the US naval vessel, insisting that it did not endorse the action.