Woman cleared of driving at three people

A court yesterday acquitted a woman, on lack of evidence, of trying to seriously injure two people and a minor by driving her car at them in a dangerous manner.

Grace Sammut had been charged with trying to seriously injure Lanice Azzopardi, who at the time was holding her daughter's hand, and Maxine Felice on September, 20, 2006. She was also charged with negligent and dangerous driving.

The court presided over by Magistrate Doreen Clarke heard how Ms Sammut and the Azzopardi family lived in the same block of apartments. In August 2006 a fight broke out between them, after which Ms Sammut had to be hospitalised for a week.

Ms Sammut then left her apartment to live with her mother and would only return to her flat to retrieve some basic items every so often. It was on one of those instances, when Ms Sammut had gone back to her flat to pick up some items, that she allegedly drove at Ms Azzopardi, her daughter and Ms Felice.

Magistrate Clarke heard Ms Sammut categorically deny the allegations made by her neighbours and, given the two conflicting versions, the magistrate ruled there was not enough evidence to convict Ms Sammut.