Jurors acquit men charged with Sion Grech's murder

A jury has returned resounding not guilty verdicts in the trial of two men who were accused of murdering 20-year-old Sion Grech in 2005.

52-year-old Ismael Habesh from Libya and 55-year-old Faical Mahouachi from Tunisia were indicted for Grech’s murder in 2005.

Grech’s body had been found, dumped in a field after she was stabbed 17 times.

Earlier today, presiding judge Aaron Bugeja concluded his marathon summing-up address, a process which he had started on Wednesday afternoon. The jury took around 7 hours to return their verdict.

Habesh alone was found guilty of using a stolen vehicle, but was acquitted of wilful homicide by 7 votes to 2, Mahouachi by 8 votes to 1.

At 8pm, nearly two hours after retiring to chambers to decide on Habesh's punishment for handling stolen, the judge returned to the courtroom. The Libyan was handed a 3-year prison sentence, but left the courtroom a free man, having already spent that time in preventive custody. He will now also have to face proceedings before the Court of Magistrates for having breached a probation order, which is likely to be extended.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Ishmael Psaila were Habesh’s defence counsel. Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace represented Mahouachi. The

Grech family is being represented by lawyer Roberto Montalto.

Lawyers Anthony Vella and Abigail Caruana, from the Office of the Attorney General, prosecuted.