Appeals court grants man accused of road rage assault bail

The court heard how the defendant stoped his own vehicle, opened the officer's car door and punched him several times

Appeals court grants man accused of road rage assault bail
Appeals court grants man accused of road rage assault bail

The man accused of beating up an off-duty policeman in a road-rage incident is understood to have been granted bail by the superior courts.

Angel Attard from Birgu had been in custody since his arraignment earlier this month, when he was charged with severely injuring PC Christian Agius. During the arraignment, Magistrate Anthony Vella had heard Inspector Matthew Spagnol describe the 40-year-old defendant, as a martial arts student with a history of road rage, who had also served time in prison for committing a hold-up.

Off-duty police officer Christian Agius, who had been in his personal car accompanied by his girlfriend, pulled over outside the St. Julian's tunnel. The court had heard Agius and his girlfriend testify to how Attard had stopped his own vehicle, hurling abuse at the off-duty policeman, before walking over, opening the officer’s door and punching him several times - despite Agius identifying himself as an officer of the law.

Attard's lawyer, Franco Debono had filed an appeal against the decision to withhold bail, after Attard was refused release again on Thursday. Debono exhibited photographs of the victim lifting weights, arguing that if the assailant was a martial artist, the officer was no pushover either.

The lawyer told journalists this morning that Judge Giovanni Grixti had upheld the appeal, after noting that all civilian witnesses had been heard and that there was no risk of tampering with evidence. Bail was granted against a deposit of €10,000 and a €10,000 personal guarantee.