Negligent driver fined €700

Adrian Darmanin, 35, of Zebbug, was fined €700 and had his driving license suspended for three months after being found guilty of grievously injuring an elderly man.

On 8 May 2010, at around 12:45pm, Darmanin was driving his Citroen in Main Street, Zebbug, when he hit 84-year old Gaudenzio Cilia. The elderly victim suffered grievous injuries. The drives was charged with dangerous and negligent driving, through which Cilia was injured.

Taking the witness stand, the accused claimed that he was driving behind a truck, which parked suddenly. “I overtook the parked truck and heard a noise. I got out of my car and saw Cilia with his hand stuck in the door of the truck. When I opened the door he fell to the ground”, Darmanin said.

However the victim insisted he was already out of the truck and in the street when Darmanin hit him. The court said it cannot entertain the testimony of the accused as it is impossible that an 84-year-old man parks his truck and gets out of the cabin in the same time it took the Citroen to overtake the truck. “Moreover the accused admitted that at no point had he seen Cilia”, the magistrate said.

During the proceedings, the defence argued that the police allowed the driver to leave the accident spot, and then called him back to reconstruct the scene. The prosecuting vehemently denied this allegation. The Court ruled that if the officers indeed behaved as alleged, such behaviour should not be repeated in any future accident.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia found Adrian Darmanin guilty as charged. The convicted was fined €700 and had his driving license suspended for three months, “in order to realise the importance of responsible and attentive driving”, Magistrate Farrugia said.

Inspector Robert Agius prosecuted.