Car driven at man, court hears

A man was standing outside his father's garage when a car drove in his direction, struck him down and burst through the garage door, a police inspector yesterday told a court.

"When I spoke to Stephen Borg, who had been injured in Qormi following an argument with Herman Mc Kay, Borg told me how Mc Kay ran him over with a BMW, then drove into the metal garage door," Inspector Maria Stella Cutajar recounted.

She was testifying before Magistrate Saviour Demicoli in the compilation of evidence against Mc Kay, 20, of Qormi, who is pleading not guilty to the attempted murder of Borg, seriously injuring him and causing over Lm50 damage to the Qormi garage last Friday.

Mc Kay is also pleading not guilty to obstructing the garage with a Pajero, driving dangerously, driving the BMW when it did not have a road licence and relapsing.

Inspector Cutajar explained that on the day of the incident she was informed there had been an argument in Qormi and that someone had ended up in hospital.

When she arrived on the scene, Borg's father, Salvu, told her that earlier on that day Borg had had an argument with Mc Kay because Mc Kay had obstructed their garage with his Pajero.

Borg's father told the inspector that eventually Mc Kay left but some time later he returned driving a BMW accompanied by his father, Martin, in the passenger seat.

Later on, Inspector Cutjar explained, Borg told her that Mc Kay had run him over with the BMW before he slammed into the garage door.

She went on to explain that during questioning Mc Kay said he had lost control of the car because it did not have petrol and the breaks did not respond. He denied trying to injure Borg.

However, the inspector said, a certain Shakri Trabelsi had seen Mc Kay drive towards Borg.

Trabelsi, Borg's brother-in-law, followed the inspector to the witness stand and explained that on the day of the incident he was speaking to a friend in a nearby bakery when he heard Borg's father shout. When he ran outside he saw Mc Kay run with his hand over his mouth.

Some five minutes later, as he was standing outside the garage, he saw Mc Kay drive a blue BMW towards the garage and then saw Borg lying on the ground.

Trabelsi said he then saw Mc Kay and his father leave the car and approach Borg's father, Salvu, but he intervened and eventually Mc Kay and his father left the scene.

At the end of yesterday's sitting Magistrate Demicoli ruled there were enough reasons for Mc Kay to be indicted.

Mc Kay was granted bail against a Lm800 deposit and a personal guarantee of Lm3,000.

Police Inspector Cutajar prosecuted.

Dr Franco Debono appeared for the defendant while Dr Ian Farrugia appeared in parte civile.