Driver who was involved in 2008 hit-and-run incident ordered to pay victim €20,000

A 29-year-old man from Rabat has been ordered to pay over €20,000 in compensation to a motorcyclist he injured in a hitand-run incident in 2008.

The incident had taken place in Valletta Road, Rabat.

Clayton Galea had been acquitted by a criminal court but was later found guilty of the 4.30am hit-and-run accident in 2014.

A court had heard how Mr Galea was three times over the blood alcohol limit and was returning home after a night out in Paceville.

He had crossed over onto the oncoming lane, despite there being a double solid line, and hit the oncoming motorcycle. Mr Galea said he had seen a light and heard a sound but did not notice that he had hit anyone and kept on driving.

The court had heard how the motorcyclist, Martin Fenech, had been hit on his right leg and how his bike skidded some 10 metres after the impact. The motorcyclist said he was driving along an empty lane and three cars were coming from the opposite direction.

Mr Galea’s car overtook the other cars without warning, crashed into him and kept going. Four eyewitnesses had corroborated Mr Fenech’s account of the incident. Mr Fenech suffered a 7% disability as a result of the accident.

Mr Justice Silvio Meli ordered Mr Galea to pay Mr Fenech €20,441 in compensation, with the amount covering damages to Mr Fenech’s motorcycle and the loss of his job.