Road menace Maximilian Ciantar acquitted of weapon possession after prosecution blunders

A man accused of recidivism and illegally carrying a knuckleduster was acquitted of both charges after two separate blunders by the police and the prosecution. 

The case centred around Maximilian Ciantar, a man who served a jail term for running over two girls in Attard in 2010, was convicted after a separate road rage incident, and was subject to other charges involving theft and drug possession. 

Earlier this week, a court acquitted Ciantar of possessing a knuckleduster in 2024. At the time, a carer in Mater Dei Hospital observed the accused with the weapon, as he was also seen taking drugs at the hospital. 

The court noted that the carer was never called to testify, as the prosecution’s witnesses were people who described to the court what the carer told them about Ciantar. 

It was also noted that following his arrest, police did not read Ciantar his rights and there was insufficient evidence to prove that the weapon belonged to the accused.