A taxi driver stabbed 12 times by a passenger in 1992 has been awarded over €5,500 damages.

Mario Mallia Bonello, who at the time was working for Wembley Garage, was repeatedly stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors by Jason Lee Borg, whom he had been sent to collect and take to Ħandaq.

During the attack, Mr Mallia Bonello had seized Mr Borg’s hand and told him he was a policeman. In response, Mr Borg told him he had been promised €3,262 by Martin Triganza to carry out the attack.

According to Mr Borg, Mr Triganza was in the process of separating from his wife and wanted to kill her. To evade suspicion, he had told Mr Borg and a certain Joannes Marines Veen to first attack and kill a taxi driver using scissors and, subsequently, kill his wife, Simone, with the same pair of scissors. The intention was to mislead the police into thinking the murders were the work of a serial killer.

Mr Veen had decided not to go ahead with the plan.

Mr Mallia Bonello sued Mr Borg and Mr Triganza for damages.

Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro, sitting in the First Hall of the Civil Court, pointed out in her judgment that Mr Triganza had been charged with the crime and had eventually been acquitted in a trial by jury. Mr Triganza had categorically denied his involvement with Mr Borg, adding he only knew him through work. On the day of the attack on Mr Mallia Bonello, he had been in Gozo.

The court found Mr Triganza’s version to be credible and added that Mr Borg had admitted to the criminal charges brought against him in connection with the attack.

Mr Borg was ordered to pay Mr Mallia Bonello €5,580.11 to make good the loss of income he had suffered as a result of the injury.

Lawyers José Herrera and David Camilleri appeared for the taxi driver.