Conditional discharge for driver who vandalised official car

The former driver of the Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly, Mario Galea was conditionally discharged for two years after he admitted to vandalising the official car and scratching obscene words on it.

Clive Bianco, 28, from Żejtun, pleaded guilty to scratching Mr Galea’s car in an attempt to cover up an accident he was involved in and which he feared would cost him his job. Instead of admitting to what had happened, last December 24, Mr Bianco filed a police report saying Mr Galea’s car had been extensively scratched and that a vandals had etched obscene words on the paintwork.

In fact, the dark blue car had several long scratches and obscenities against Mr Galea written on one side. Both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party had condemned what was then thought to have been a case of vandalism.

Mr Bianco told the police he dropped Mr Galea off at about midnight and then went straight to his brother’s house and remained there until 3 a.m. He then left and went home where he parked the car outside his house. In the morning, he found the car, which belonged to John’s Garage, scratched and two stones lying nearby.

After speaking to Mr Bianco’s brother, the police found a number of discrepancies with his version and suspected he was lying.

When confronted, Mr Bianco confessed and admitted he crashed into a rubble wall because he slept at the wheel. He panicked and drove home but changed his mind and went back to where the crash occurred. He was about to call the police but did not do so because he was afraid of losing his job. Instead, he picked up a stone from the rubble wall and scratched the car.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli noted that Mr Bianco had cooperated with the police, filed an early guilty plea and had lost his job as a consequence of his actions.

He was conditionally discharged for two years.

Police Inspector Jeffrey Cilia prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared for Mr Bianco.