A man who had originally been charged with attempting to murder five police officers has been let off with a fine after a court found no evidence to prove the more serious charges brought against him.

Paul Debattista, 52, from Tarxien, was fined €2,000 and disqualified from holding a driving licence for six months after a court found him guilty of dangerous and reckless driving.

He had originally been charged with trying to kill an inspector and four police constables by driving a car in their direction on January 17, 2005, in Vittoriosa.

Over the years, however, the attempted murder charge was dropped and replaced with an attempted serious injury charge.

But Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona found that even this charge did not stand when considering the evidence and Mr Debattista’s version. Although the magistrate noted that this version “was not easily credible”, weight had to be given to his assertion that he thought he was in danger when he found two cars blocking his way.

The cars being used by the police were unmarked and the police officers were in plain clothes, so he crashed into the cars blocking his way and fled. He was apprehended two days later.

The court heard how he was being monitored over a possible drug deal. He was seen in Vittoriosa and sped off when he saw a police car. As he was driving away, a hired Peugeot 106 blocked the road in an attempt to stop him.

But fearing that he was being ambushed, he hit the Peugeot and then drove into a police car and a traffic sign. 

Magistrate Micallef Trigona said there was lack of evidence supporting the original attempted murder charge and even the attempted grievous injury charge. Moreover, there was also no evidence to prove that he had insulted or resisted the police.

As he cleared him of these charges, he found him guilty of driving recklessly and dangerously, damaging two vehicles, driving a car without a licence and relapsing. He fined him €2,000 and banned from having a driving licence for six months.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti prosecuted while lawyer Arthur Azzopardi was defence counsel.