A driver who led the police on a wild, movie-like car chase from Marsalforn to Fontana in Gozo has been jailed and fined heavily.
Charles Paul Muscat, 36 from Xlendi, faced 13 charges in relation to the incident which took place in April 2013.
Policemen on patrol had noted his Fiat Punto in Marsalforn some ten minutes before curfew time imposed by a court as part of bail conditions. An hour later the officers came face to face with the accused, driving his car well past his midnight curfew.
Sensing that he was about to be cornered, the man slammed on the accelerator pedal and drove straight at one of the officers, making his escape by going wrong way through a one-way street.
The police gave chase all the way to Victoria and on to Fontana where the accused gave them the slip upon reaching a point where their path was blocked by roadworks.
Policemen went to his house and when no one answered the door, they forced their way in and found the culprit, who was duly handcuffed and arrested.
A fortnight later, the man’s lawyer filed a report claiming that his client had been roughly handled and beaten during his arrest, leading to internal investigations in respect of the officers who strongly denied such claim.
A constitutional case was also instituted by the accused in relation to the episode surrounding his arrest, which case is still ongoing.
In the course of criminal proceedings, the defence claimed that on the night of the alleged breach of bail, the Fiat was being driven by the accused’s partner, Sonia Vella, and that the accused himself had all the while been asleep at home.
Ms Vella, when testifying in the proceedings, had supported this claim but it was not corroborated by the testimony of four police officers and a man who had met the accused in Marsalforn on the night of the chase.
Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, presiding over the Gozo Court, emphasized that police officers are to be protected in the exercise of their duties.
“Such behaviour is unacceptable and must be censured,” he commented, declaring the accused guilty and imposing an 18-month jail term as well as a €4,500 fine.
The court also ordered the accused’s re-arrest and forfeiture of his earlier €25,000 bail guarantee. A 12-month ban on his driving licence was also imposed.
Finally, the court ordered the Commissioner of Police to investigate Sonia Vella for testifying falsely under oath.
Inspector Frank A. Tabone and Superintendent Simon Galea prosecuted.
Lawyer Tonio Azzopardi was defence counsel.