Road rage aggressor jailed for 18 years

Stephen Pirotta, 39, of Luqa was jailed for 18 years yesterday after a jury yesterday found him guilty by seven votes to two of the attempted murder of David Azzopardi in a road rage case back in 2005.

Mr Azzopardi was stabbed in the chest as he sat in his car in Qormi after he protested that Mr Pirotta had hit his car's door mirror while overtaking. He then tried to drive to St Luke's Hospital but passed out in Ħamrun and was taken to hospital in an ambulance where emergency surgery saved his life.

Mr Pirotta had immediately admitted to stabbing the victim.

Prior to the incident, the accused remembered drinking about four beers and a bottle of wine. As the two men argued, Mr Pirotta claimed that he saw Mr Azzopardi crouch down and his first thought was that he was going to grab a pistol. So he ran up to him and stabbed him before he could be attacked.

The trial was presided by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono.