Woman recounts what she saw from her car

An eyewitness to a road rage incident yesterday told a court she saw a young man sprint into a side road and return with a chamber pot which he hurled at an older man who, in turn, reacted by hitting him three times with a piece of wood.

Jo Christine Scicluna said she was driving in Sliema when she saw the two men fight but although she heard the pot, which she described as a chamber pot, break she could not see whether it had hit the older man since her view was obstructed.

She recognised Paul Hili as the older man and said she saw him hit the young man with a piece of wood but had not been in a position to see where he had hit him exactly.

Scicluna testified before Magistrate Carol Peralta in the compilation of evidence against Hili, 53, of St Julian's who is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of 21-year-old Victor Testa and seriously injuring him in Sliema on February 27 at about 8.30 p.m.

Hili is also pleading not guilty to driving against a one-way sign and breaching the peace.

Scicluna explained that she came across the accident because she had to stop because of two stationary cars.

She saw Hili and a young man argue then suddenly the young man ran towards St Francis Street, came back carrying an empty chamber pot and threw it.

Hili reacted immediately and hit the young man with what seemed to be a baton three times but she could not see where he hit him.

Scicluna said she then saw two men arrive on the scene and one of them took the wooded item from Hili's hand. Scicluna did not realise how serious the case was because she saw the young man walking and talking. The only strange thing about him was that his hand was shaking.

Earlier, Inspector Anglu Caruana said he went to the scene with Inspector Mario Bonnici and they were told that Testa was driving up St Francis Street when Hili drove down the same street against the one-way sign.

Testa reversed for a distance but when he arrived near Nappa Bar, Testa told Hili that he did not want to reverse any further. The two men started arguing. The argument turned into a fight and Hili hit Testa on the head with a piece of wood.

Inspector Caruana explained that Hili was arrested from the vicinity of the bar and that a piece of wood that looked like a baton was found in the parapet of the bar.

Hili admitted, during questioning, that he drove against the one-way sign and hit Testa. But he insisted that he had reacted to Testa coming towards him with a pot in his hands.

The inspector explained that when he eventually spoke to Testa in hospital he did not mention anything about the pot.

But an eyewitness told police that a pot was thrown by Testa and he admitted he had grabbed a pot from a house nearby but had not thrown it at Hili.

The inspector also explained that no pots or fragments were found in the area.

Kurt Camilleri said he was on his way to Nappa Bar at about 8.30 p.m. when he noticed a Golf reversing for another car driving in the wrong direction.

The driver of the Golf then told the other driver that he did not want to reverse further.

Camilleri added it was not unusual for people to drive against the one-way sign because there were road works being carried out.

He said he had then gone inside the bar but went out again after about two minutes and, seeing the drivers fighting, he intervened. A friend had thrown Hili's stick into the parapet of the bar and he noted that the other man was trembling and touching his head.

Camilleri's girlfriend, Nicolette Muscat, explained that she was driving to Camilleri's house when a Golf reversed towards her because another car was driving in the wrong direction.

An argument broke out between the drivers which led to Hili hitting the young man on the head, she said.

Albert Aquilina said he walked out of Nappa Bar when he heard two men arguing and recognised Testa. He said he saw Hili chase Testa round the Golf and when Testa stopped, Hili hit him with a stick on the hand and then on the head.

Aquilina said he then intervened, took the stick and called the ambulance.

Under cross-examination, Aquilina said he knew both Camilleri and Muscat at the bar.

He did not see Testa holding a pot and denied removing the pieces from the scene of the incident.

Hili's lawyers then requested bail for their client and Magistrate Peralta granted him bail against a Lm500 deposit after noting there could be a different twist to the incident.

He also noted that Hili had a clean criminal record and had cooperated with police investigations.

He also remarked that Testa had not appeared when summoned despite the fact that his doctor had told him he could go out in circumstances of "dire necessity".

The case continues.

Police Inspectors Angelo Caruana and Mario Bonnici are prosecuting.

Dr John Attard Montalto and Dr Ian Farrugia are appearing for Hili.