An unemployed man who was allegedly driving a Jaguar S type when it hit an 11-year-old boy in Sliema early yesterday, has been granted bail. The car did not stop after the accident.

Shaunvic Felice, 21, was granted bail against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €10,000 after he pleaded not guilty to injuring the boy - Martin Quam, who is from Slovakia.  

He was also charged with failing to slow down near a zebra crossing, being drunk while driving, driving dangerously and at an excessive speed, refusing to give his particulars to the police, driving without a licence and insurance and relapsing.

The man reportedly returned to the scene of the accident on foot.

Testifying, the boy’s mother, Andrea Pindufora, told the Court she and her son arrived in Malta from Slovakia on Tuesday evening and took a taxi to their apartment in the Sliema/St Julian’s area.

Martin was hungry so they decided tolook for a restaurant.

They walked along the promenade with their friends Michael Burian and his son Benjamin.

Ms Pindufora said she was holding her son’s hand and they walked ahead of Michael and Benjamin. All of a sudden Martin spotted Times Square Restaurant  and said “there it is” . He started to cross the road right opposite the restaurant. 

Ms Pindufora said Michael and Benjamin crossed before them. All of a sudden a car came speeding from the left. It swerved and almost hit Benjamin, brushed against her and hit her son.

She said that as they were crossing the road, Martin had let go of her hand and tried to run to the pavement. The car that hit him, she said, did not brake and drove on.

“My son’s body was thrown 20 to 30 metres away, there was a crowd of people around him. I lay down next to him and spoke to him, his eyes were open but he could not speak although he began to cry.

When the police and an ambulance arrived, they were taken to Mater Dei.

15-year-old Benjamin told the court that as they were crossing the road, he heard Ms Pindufora  shout “watch out” and he ran forward. At that point he heard a blunt sound.

“I turned and saw the tail lights of a car driving off and something flying in the air,” he said.

In submissions on bail, Police Inspector Anna Marie Micallef said that a family member of the accused had also been questioned by the police and proceedings might be taken against this person for giving false information.

Defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi said that this fact should not reflect negatively on his client when it came to bail.

The court later granted bail.