Reckless driver gets 350 hours community work, fined €80 for causing woman’s death

A man has been ordered to pay an €80 fine and to perform 350 hours of community work for involuntary murder of a young mother.

25-year-old Matthew Barbara was 18 and had just obtained his driving licence wen he was involved in a head-on collision that claimed the life of Rosianna Azzopardi, on 9 July 2010.

The fatality occurred at around 4:50am when the accused was navigating a bend along John Houel Street, Naxxar at some 105km/hour. A court expert found that while the roads were damp with condensation, the weather was clear and visibility was good.

Due to his reckless and dangerous driving, the accused skid and lost control of his vehicle which crashed into the vehicle driven by the victim in the opposite direction.

The woman had died on impact but her 11-month-old daughter, who was strapped appropriately into the car seat, was unharmed in the accident.

Barbara’s defence counsel had argued that he was “inexperienced and immature" about the consequence of driving a car.

However the court, presided by magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, found Barbara to have been responsible for the accident “without any reservations”, commenting that he did not consider that a car that can be used as a “weapon” and must be driven with “skill”.

The court declared the accused guilty of involuntary murder and of having damaged third party property owing to his dangerous and reckless driving.

The court, holding that a prison term would not be appropriate under the current circumstances, ordered Barbara to pay an €80 fine and 350 hours community work. His driving licence was revoked for three months and his Mitsubishi was confiscated under a court order.