Road rage driver fined

A Qormi man has been fined €100 after a court found him guilty of voluntarily damaging a woman’s car after a traffic accident last summer.

Chris Vassallo, 21, was however cleared of negligent and dangerous driving, insulting and causing slight injury to Mary Farrugia, who was at the wheel of the other vehicle during the incident, which took place in July 2013.

Farrugia had testified that as she was driving her Volkswagen Gold on the road from Qormi to Zebbug when Vassallo, who was driving the car in front, started swerving from lane to lane. She claimed that Vassallo and his girlfriend were laughing and mocking her, giving her “the finger”.

At one point, she said, the other car surprised her by suddenly turning to the left forcing her to take evasive action. Both cars then stopped and the drivers got out to inspect any damage.

Farrugia claimed that Vassallo then proceeded to repeatedly bang his fist on the bonnet of her car, causing the Volkswagen emblem to fall off the grille. She claimed that after she had asked him why he was doing this, Vassallo “twisted her finger and broke off a nail, causing lots of blood to come out.”

Vassallo and his girlfriend gave a rather different version of events however, claiming that Farrugia had tried to overtake them from the inner lane and that he had honked the horn. Farrugia moved closer and was seen mouthing words, which she could not hear as the windows were closed.

The girlfriend told the court how the accused overtook the other car and stopped in a service lane further up the road. As he was getting out of the vehicle, she said, she saw Farrugia’s car “trying to run him over”. Vassallo “in a panic” began banging on the bonnet of Farrugia’s vehicle. The woman got out of the car and starting threatening them, saying that she was going to end up in prison again because she was going to kill them.

The witness claimed Farrugia punched her, hurting her lip.

In its decision, the court however noted the fact that Farrugia had instigated the incident, was inconsistent in her testimony and that she had not exhibited a medical certificate of her injuries and dismissed the other charges.

Inspector Joseph Agius prosecuted.