A 38-year-old man was found not guilty of stealing food from St Vincent de Paule.

Emmanuel Borg, 38, had been accused by the hospital administration of stealing food from the SVPR and putting it in his van.

The court, presided over by magistrate Antonio Mizzi, heard how Mr Borg – a storekeeper – was seen stuffing food in his van on 14 June, 2006.

He refused to let security guards inspect his van and drove away. Security personnel had later found canned food lying on the ground, worth around €100 (Lm42.51).

Mr Borg denied stealing food and not allowing a search to take place, as he was never asked permission for a search to be carried out. He said he was carrying three pigeons in his van. This story was confirmed by a man who said he gave him pigeons on a regular basis. The court acquitted him due to lack of evidence.

Police Inspector Frans Micallef prosecuted, while Dr Anglu Farrugia and Dr Edward Gatt appeared for Mr Borg.