Man charged with death of AFM soldier killed in Gozo crash

A 41-year-old man was charged with causing the death of an Armed Forces of Malta soldier in a traffic accident in Għajnsielem.

Dominic Peter Hedges, a UK national who lives in Gozo, was arraigned on Saturday morning in connection with the fatal collision that claimed the life of Joey Cutajar on Thursday evening.

Hedges pleaded not guilty.

Cutajar, 44, was driving a motorcycle at around 6:45pm on Triq Borg Għarib when he was involved in a collision with a Volkswagen Polo driven by Hedges.

Cutajar is the first road victim of 2026.

Hedges was charged with involuntary homicide, reckless and dangerous driving, and overspeeding. He was also charged with failing to change direction or overtake another vehicle carefully and for damaging Cutajar’s motorcycle.

Defence lawyers requested bail for Hedges, but the prosecution objected on the basis of the gravity of the charges and the premature stages of the proceedings.

The court denied the bail request.

Magistrate Jean Paul Grech presided over the case.

Inspector Keith Xerri prosecuted, while lawyers Dejan Darmanin and Mauro Abela appeared on behalf of the attorney general.