Man charged over spillage which caused fatal motorcycle accident

A 79-year-old man from Dingli has been charged in connection with a spillage that had caused a fatal motorcycle accident last year.

Marie Claire Lombardi, 45, died on 22 October 2022 as a result of injuries she sustained when her Yamaha motorcycle skidded and crashed into a centre strip on Mdina Road in Rabat.

Lombardi, who was a hairdresser, died at the scene.

Pensioner Joseph Cortis appeared before Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo accused of involuntary homicide, negligently causing damage to private property and depositing items on the road surface.

Lawyer Patrick Valentino, defence counsel, did not contest the validity of Cortis’ arrest, but pointed out that the defendant could have easily been charged by summons. He had been on police bail since last December, added the lawyer.

In a statement issued sometime after the crash, the police had said that investigations showed that Lombardi had lost control of her motorcycle due to material that had been spilt on the road surface.

News reports published at the time of the incident suggested that the road surface had been rendered unsafe by olives which had been partially crushed by vehicle traffic after spilling out of a crate onto the road.

Cortis, who had been transporting the olives is understood to have not stopped to collect his spilled cargo, nor had he informed the authorities or asked that the hazard be cleared.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Inspector Roderick Attard did not oppose the defence’s request for bail, explaining that most of the civilian witnesses had already testified and that Cortis had always observed his bail police conditions.  He had strong ties to the Maltese islands.

Valentino objected to the prosecution’s suggestion of a substantial financial deposit, in view of his limited financial means and the fact that he had cooperated with the police.

The court granted bail, ordering the defendant to sign a bail book three times a week. Bail was secured with a personal guarantee of €50,000.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are representing the Lombardi family as parte civile.