Disqualified driver fined for reckless driving in Sliema collision that injured elderly woman

The Magistrates’ Court has found Liam Mifsud, 25, guilty of driving without a licence, without insurance and while disqualified, as well as driving recklessly, in connection with a traffic incident in Sliema in 2020 which left an elderly woman injured.

However, the court did not find sufficient proof to convict him of causing grievous bodily harm through negligence.

The incident took place on 11 November 2020 at around 12:30pm in Triq il-Freres, Sliema, where roadworks were underway.

The court heard that the road was closed to through traffic at the time.

According to testimony, Mifsud reversed his vehicle down the road after being unable to continue through a connecting street.

The injured party, Augusta Camilleri, told the court that she had been standing beside her parked car, placing shopping inside, when Mifsud reversed his vehicle and struck her. She described the impact as forceful, telling the court that her foot immediately bruised and later required extended recovery.

She said that a piece of the underside of the vehicle tore the surface of her foot.

Camilleri testified that Mifsud initially appeared prepared to leave the scene, explaining that she stopped him and insisted he provide his identification details. A piece of paper containing his personal information, which she said he wrote down at her request, was exhibited in court.

Police officers who attended the scene told the victim that the incident should have been reported immediately and that an ambulance ought to have been called, the court heard.

Medical documents confirmed that Camilleri sustained injuries, and she told the court that she remained housebound for several weeks and continued to suffer difficulties walking, particularly when descending stairs. She explained that her daughter, a pharmacist, and her grandson, a doctor, oversaw her care at home.

During cross-examination, the defence sought to argue that Camilleri may have stepped out between parked cars, and also noted that she had previously been involved in an accident ten years earlier.

Camilleri denied having crossed between cars on the day of the incident, repeatedly insisting that she had been standing beside her own vehicle when she was struck.

The court noted that Mifsud did not testify.

An affidavit from Transport Malta confirmed that his driving licence had been revoked in October 2019, and the court found that he was therefore driving while disqualified and without valid insurance on the day in question.