An Austin Mini driver who crashed into horse-drawn sulky at Marsa race track nine years ago will have to pay €18,000 in damages after a court found he was responsible for the crash. 

Anthony Busuttil was riding his sulky around the race track in October 2008 when a car driven by Andrew Stephen Roberts came speeding at him while driving in the opposite direction. 

Mr Roberts was driving at such speed that the crash severely injured Mr Busuttil and his horse and saw the Austin Mini glide 19 metres before smashing into a wall. 

Despite surgery, Mr Busuttil never regain full functionality of his knee and was left with a 20 per cent disability. The horse had to be put down by a vet at the scene of the accident. 

Police began criminal proceedings against Mr Roberts, with Mr Busuttil subsequently suing for damages.

Today the civil court, presided over by Mr Justice Silvio Meli, concluded that the car driver was to be held responsible for the accident since he had failed to keep a proper lookout and had lost control of his Mini, thereby creating a danger to others and himself.

For this reason, the court awarded the sulky driver €17,970 by way of compensation for damages suffered as a result of the respondent’s negligent and reckless driving.