Newspaper report leads to annulment of jury

Court today annulled a jury following the publication of a newspaper report on the accused and his criminal record.

Melchior Spiteri stands accused of murdering a man during a hold-up but judge Antonio Mizzi this morning decided to postpone the jury indefinitely because the report published by l-orrizont could condition the jurors.

Spiteri who has been convicted dozens of times for crimes including murder, stands charged with killing an Italian chef in St Julian’s in 1993.

According to law, any reference to the accused’s criminal record which can impinge on the jury’s impartiality can justify the annulment of a jury. Accordingly, Judge Antonio Mizzi ordered the postponed on the basis that the newspaper article might have compromised the jurors' impartiality.

Spiteri is serving a 30-year sentence after being found guilty of murdering a loan shark in Bormla. In 2003, a jury declared Spiteri guilty of the murder of Jason Azzopardi on October 22, 2001.

Last year he was jailed for 18 months after he was found guilty of possession of heroin with intent to traffic during a raid on his prison cell in 2007.