A taxi driver who was stabbed 12 times by a passenger has been awarded over €5,000 in damages.

Mario Mallia Bonello told the court that he was a taxi driver with Wembley Garage and in August 1992 he had been told to collect a passenger, Jason Lee Borg, from Msida and take him to Handaq. While on the way, Mr Borg repeatedly stabbed him on his neck with a pair of scissors.

Mr Mallia Bonello seized Mr Borg’s hand and told him that he was a policeman. In response, Mr Borg told him that he had been promised Lm1,400 by a man to carry out this attack.

According to Mr Borg, the man was in the process of separating from his wife and wished to kill her. To avoid suspicion, he had told Mr Borg and a certain Joannes Marines Veen, to first attack and kill a taxi driver using scissors and to subsequently kill his wife, Simone, with the same pair of scissors. In this manner the police would think that the murders were the work of a serial killer.

Mr Veen had decided not to proceed with this plan and he was not a party to the suit filed by Mr Mallia Bonello.

Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro pointed out that the man Borg named had been charged with this crime and had eventually been fully acquitted in a trial by jury. He had categorically denied his involvement with Mr Borg, adding that he only knew him through work.

On the day of the attack on Mr Mallia Bonello, the man had been in Gozo.

The court found the man's version to be credible and added that Mr Borg had admitted to the criminal charges brought against him in connection with the attack.

Mr Borg was ordered to pay Mr Mallia Bonello €5,580.11 to make good the loss of income he had suffered as a result of the injury.

Article amended on October 2, 2023 following a data privacy request. For more information contact editor@timesofmalta.com