A man who 15 years ago supplied and administered a near-fatal dose of heroin to a first-time user has been jailed for three years and fined €5,000.
Louis Mallia, 47, was found guilty of administering a dose of heroin to his childhood friend, Clyde Bonavia, who was rushed to hospital unconscious and only survived thanks to the instant care he received from doctors.
Magistrate Miriam Hayman heard how the police began investigating the case when Mr Bonavia arrived at the Emergency Department after having been found unconscious in a rented flat in St Domenic Street in Valletta.
Doctors immediately noticed fresh needle marks on his forearm.
Police investigations revealed that Mr Bonavia was with another two men at the time.
Mr Bonavia told the court that it was around Christmastime when Mr Mallia asked him hether he was interested in sharing some heroin because he had just received a social benefits payment. He said he told Mr Mallia that he had never taken heroin before. He was assured that it would be okay and that if it was unpleasant, he could stop.
hey bought the heroin from a certain Grezzju Camilleri in Valletta and Mr Bonavia said that since he had never taken heroin before, Mr Mallia administered it.
"The next thing I knew was waking up at the Intensive Therapy Unit."
Mr Mallia told the court that he and Mr Bonavia has just collected a Lm22 (€50 approx) cheque so they took the bus to Valletta. However, in the afternoon he left the flat and went to sign the bail book at the Msida police station and when he returned, he found Mr Bonavia asleep on the bed. "He was snoring," he said.
But Magistrate Hayman was not impressed with his version of events, saying court experts and all evidence pointed at him as having supplied and administered the near-fatal dose of heroin to someone who had never taken heroin before.
She therefore found him guilty of heroin possession and supplying the drug to Mr Bonavia and jailed him for three years and fined him €5,000.
Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Gatt prosecuted.