A father and his son were ordered to pay a man nearly €36,000 in compensation after the court in Gozo ruled that both were responsible for a traffic accident during which the son was driving his father's car even though he was just 15.

Magistrate Anthony Ellul ordered Peter Paul Grech and his son Antoine to pay €35,852 (Lm15,391) to Joseph Borg, the victim of the traffic accident that occurred on October 18, 1998 in Triq ix-Xħajma, in Nadur.

The court heard that the son took his father's car, purchased the day before, and was involved in the accident. Although the father had repeatedly warned his son not to drive his car, the court ruled that the father had done very little to ensure that his son would not do so.

Handing down judgement, Magistrate Ellul said the father had failed to keep the car keys away from his son, even though he knew that his son was tempted to drive. The court was told during the proceedings that the son had never driven before but the magistrate commented he did not believe this because there were several witnesses who saw him driving, even at the age of 14, when he was seen driving a motorcycle. The magistrate said the son had driven for a considerable distance on the day of the accident.

The court therefore ruled that both the father and his son were responsible for the accident and ordered them to pay Mr Borg €35,852 in compensation.