A driver who hit twin girls in Attard and drove on has had a two-year jail term confirmed on appeal, but a 10-year driving ban has been reduced to six months, starting immediately.

21-year-old drug addict, Maximilian Ciantar from Marsa was driving at 102km per hour when he hit 10-year-old Sarah Marie and Rebecca Marie Falzon as they crossed the road after coming out of a catechism class on April 28, 2010.

In the appeal judgement it emerged that Mr Ciantar was never charged with driving negligently and dangerously.

In the original judgement, handed down by Magistrate Doreen Clarke on July 27, it was noted how Mr Ciantar, who was 20 when the accident occurred, had already been convicted eight times for various crimes, three of which were about driving without a licence and insurance cover.

In his considerations, Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano said that as regards the jail term the magistrate was well within the parameters of the law, however, when it came to the driving ban, Mr Ciantar was not charged with dangerous or negligent driving and so the ban should be reduced to six months.

The court had heard how the girls waited until cars coming from their left had stopped before their father, who was waiting on the other side, waved to them to cross as no other cars were approaching. But it took Mr Ciantar just 11 seconds to drive from the traffic lights on Mdina Road, turning left into Tal Warda Street, and knock down the children.

Mr Ciantar, was driving his father's Peugeot Partner at the time of the incident and the vehicle has now been confiscated. At the time was only insured for drivers over 25.

Rebecca Marie was critically injured and in a coma for several days before starting to recover.

Her sister, Sarah Marie, needed to be operated upon twice, having also suffered grievous injuries.

During the case in court, Mr Ciantar  won €1,000 in compensation for breach of human rights because although he had been granted bail, the conditions imposed meant he was denied effective release. He was kept at Mount Carmel Hospital because of his acute drug addiction. Lawyer Adrian Camilleri appeared for Mr Ciantar.

http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/courtservices/Judgements/search.aspx?func=15days