DJ Banana loses driving license following argument with wardens

Mario Mifsud handed two-year conditional discharge and has driving license suspended after an argument with two traffic wardens, who stopped him driving while on the phone.

17 December 2013, 12:00am
by Chris Mangion

1 min read

Mario Mifsud, aka DJ Banana, also presents Motordrome - a TV programme very popular amongst motorsports enthusiasts.

Mario Mifsud, popularly known as DJ Banana, was conditionally discharged and had his driving license suspended for unintentionally injuring a traffic warden.

Mifsud, 49 of Pembroke, was stopped by a warden for using his mobile phone while driving.

As the judgement was handed down, Mifsud broke down in tears, saying he had a 7-year-old autistic son who he needed to drive to school every day.

"If my license is suspended for three months, who will drive my son to school?," the DJ sobbed.

However Magistrate Edwina Grima replied that judgement had been delivered and would not be changed.

Prosecuting inspector Spiridione Zammit told the court how traffic wardens Alicia Cianco and Maria Mifsud had stopped him while he was on his mobile phone.

After being issued with a contravention ticket, the accused took a photo of one of the wardens talking on their mobile inside her vehicle and sped off the scene.

The wardens gave chase, stopped the accused and warden Alicia Cianco approached him demanding he deletes her photo.

While both parties were gesticulating and arguing over the issue, the accused unintentionally hit the traffic warden causing her slight injuries.

Mifsud was also charged with disobeying a public officer, refusing to give his particulars to the wardens, and driving in a dangerous and negligent manner. He pleaded guilty as charged.

Mifsud's pleas for a change in punishment were rejected.

Inspectors Spiridione Zammit and Frans Micallef prosecuted while lawyers Yanika Bugeja and Dean Hili appeared for the accused.

Chris Mangion is MaltaToday’s photojournalist, joining the newspaper in 2013.

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For those gently asking the photo I took of the warden is of a mobile phone sticking from under her helmet,and yes I have often seen her driving about on her scooter.Would any of you nice folk like to be fined by a person committing the crime she is charging you with ? So I took the photo as besides being a journalist I need it for future reference and you would all love to see it I bet.My answering the phone was to tell the person phoning me that I was driving .Ok I got the fine,there was no need for the sending another warden to make me delete the photo.Data protection is not about taking but how you use the photo.The police confirmed this to me later on.I know what happened as I was there,there was no where to speed at that time on that road,and how could I not give my particulars if I got issued a fine.Further more the second I felt that I got stopped illegally and I was late to pick my children from school thanks to these nice wardens.They wanted me to wait for the police to make me delete the photo.When I drove off one was one her mobile the second was on a radio.Both were more than fine,anybody in his right mind would understand this is payback for taking a photo which they know if it goes public this warden would be in deep trouble.Why did I admit ? Unfortunately this country `s juridical system is too lame too carry on with this charge for years and my priority in life is my children and i don`t want to waste their time.But people beware as some wardens would do anything to get out of trouble,and it seems like they can get away with anything as there is no control over them..

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There are STILL too many buffoons out there who claim a divine right to use their 'phones while driving.