Man jailed after car ramming incident

A man, diagnosed as emotionally unstable and impulsive, has been jailed for a total of two years and five months for deliberately crashing his car into that of his girlfriend's mother three years ago.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro found Keith Galea guilty of crashing into the woman's car during the operative time of a two-year jail term suspended for four years.

The magistrate heard how on January 14, 2003, Angela Apap filed a police report in which she explained how that day she had had an argument with her daughter and they started fighting. During the brawl Ms Apap said that, acting in self-defence, she hit her daughter in the face and split her lip. At that point, her daughter's boyfriend arrived at their house. Her daughter got into his car and he rammed the witness's car.

The magistrate also heard that Mr Galea had an alcohol abuse problem and that he needed psychological help as he was diagnosed as being impulsive and aggressive.

But, on evaluating the case, Magistrate Lofaro ruled that the time had come for Mr Galea to face the consequences of his actions as the court had given him several chances already. She jailed him for five months and ordered that a two-year suspended jail term be put into effect.

She also bound him not to approach the Apap family for a year against a Lm100 fine in default.

Police Inspector Raymond D'Anastas prosecuted.