Motorcycle courier charged with drunk driving after evading roadblock

A Nepalese motorcycle food courier has admitted to failing to obey police orders, together with a slew of driving offences, after evading a roadside police checkpoint and leading officers on a car chase.

Inspector Chirstabelle Chetcuti charged 30-year-old Shree Krishna Pangeni with a total of 11 offences, including driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous driving and driving a scooter without a driving licence or insurance. He was also accused of damaging a police car.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella heard the inspector explain how the man, who also had a passenger on his bike, had been flagged down by police on the Birkirkara bypass during the night of 3 April. 

Pangeni had failed to stop, however, and instead had tried to flee, damaging a police car in the process. A roadside breathalyser test was conducted, and the accused was found to be over the drink driving limit. He was arrested on the spot, said the inspector, adding that he had cooperated with the police after his initial escape attempt.

The man had admitted guilt during interrogation and had released a statement, after refusing to consult with a lawyer.

Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar, appointed as legal aid counsel to the accused, told the court that the accused was admitting the charges.

The court informed the parties that it would not be delivering judgement today but said that the man could request bail until sentenced..

Mifsud Cutajar asked that his client be released on bail, emphasising the man’s early guilty plea and the fact that he was a first time offender. “The offences are mainly traffic-related,” submitted the lawyer.

The prosecution said it would not object to bail as long as stringent conditions were imposed.

Magistrate Vella released the man on bail, ordering him to deposit his passport in court and sign a bail book every day. Compliance with his bail conditions was secured by a personal guarantee of €5,000.

Before the court adjourned the case to Monday for sentencing, Mifsud Cutajar appealed to the magistrate to bear in mind the fact that the accused was a delivery driver and his income depended solely on this form of employment when sentencing the man.