Man accused of hit-and-run ‘not aware of incident’

Stephen Joseph Theuma, 46, from Rabat, was fined €1,500 and had his driving licence suspended for a month after he admitted to causing grievous injuries to Horace Coleiro during the accident, which took place three years ago in Mdina.

Theuma stated that on 31 December 2010, at around 11.45 pm, he was driving down Saqqajja Hill when he noticed a small crowd outside Tattingers Club. He said he heard a noise and noticed his mirror was misplaced, but he neither heard anyone shouting nor saw any commotion, so he kept driving.

Later the same night, police spoke to the accused, who recounted what he believed had happened. He said that since the mirror of his car is spring-fitted, its misplacement led him to believe somebody had been hit by the mirror.

Victim Horace Coleiro told the court he was waiting with his friends outside Tattingers when a vehicle hit one of his friends with its mirror, then hit him. Coleiro said when he fell off the pavement, his leg was run over by the car's rear wheel, but the driver kept driving. Police identified the vehicle because a passer-by had taken note of its number plate.

Coleiro was then taken to hospital by an ambulance where it was found that he had suffered fractures and his ligaments were torn, leading to a permanent disability of 10 per cent.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli said that the incident would not have happened if the driver had been more mindful of his surroundings. Since the accused admitted to having spotted a crowd of people, he should have driven more cautiously, she said. His negligence led to a third party being grievously injured.