A bus driver was fined €3,000 for running a red light and hitting a woman who was crossing the road, permanently scarring her face.

The case dates to December 2009 when Carmel Cassar, 55, was driving through Constitution Street, Mosta. The woman had come out of Casa Arkati, where she worked, and crossed the road to where her father was waiting in a parked car to fetch something.

She then approached the pelican lights and, once they turned red and the beeping sound was heard, she took two steps and was run over by the bus.

Mr Cassar was charged with failing to stop at the traffic lights, negligent driving and failing to see Ms Attard on the pavement.

Her father testified how, in his car's mirror, he saw the bus approach without slowing down when the lights had turned amber. Knowing his daughter was about to cross, he rushed out of his car only to see her beneath the bunker with blood oozing from her face.

The accused testified that he had been driving at around 35 kilometers per hour but all other witnesses testified that he had been driving at a "normal speed" of around 60 kilometers per hour.

After viewing CCTV footage of the incident, Magistrate Doreen Clarke said the victim had observed all her duties apart from making sure that no vehicles were approaching, as she had failed to keep a lookout before crossing. However, the woman had a right to cross while the driver had a duty to stop.

Medical certificates presented in court showed that the woman had a permanent scar on her face and suffered from numbness to the side of her face.

The accused was fined €3,000 and had his driving licence suspended for a year.