Three years' jail, fine, for beating woman

A Cospicua man was yesterday jailed for three years and fined Lm250 for beating up and seriously injuring a 62-year-old woman after a traffic collision two years ago.

Anthony Bonavia, 49, was found guilty of beating Antoinette Borg who consequently suffered a broken rib, a fractured skull and ankle as well as other cuts and bruises in Pietà on November 14, 2000, at about 11 p.m.

He was also found guilty of allowing his 16-year-old son Clyde to drive his Morris Marina and relapsing and was banned from driving for a year.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro, who defined Bonavia's actions as "extremely reprehensible," heard how an argument arose between him and the woman after cars driven by Bonavia's son and Borg's sister collided.

The woman said that when they got out of the cars Bonavia started pushing her around. He beat her until she fell to the ground and then he kicked her, she said.

But Bonavia denied beating the woman and said that he pushed her in self-defence after she hit him on the head with a torch. He said that he only allowed his son to drive his car because he had drunk too much that night.

Magistrate Lofaro noted that it was highly unlikely that a 62-year-old woman would hit a man with a torch. Besides, she noted, Edmond Camilleri and Stephen Pace both testified that they saw Bonavia beat and kick the woman.

The magistrate said she saw no reason to be lenient because Bonavia's criminal record was worrying and he had been given several opportunities to change his ways.