Despite organising committee’s decision, barriers were not filled with water during Paqpaqli event

Despite a decision by the organising committee to use waterfilled barriers, a court heard how they were not filled on the day in question where 23 people were injured after a supercar spun into a nearby crowd.

The court case on the 2015 Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina crash continued to be heard yesterday.

23 people were injured, some seriously, when the supercar careened into the crowd of spectators in October 2015 during the annual event to raise funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund, which falls under the responsibility of the Office of the President.

Video footage had shown plastic barriers go flying in the air when the Porsche 918 Spyder driven by British millionaire Paul Bailey lost control and hit the crowd.

Bailey, together with the organisational committee stand accused of involuntarily causing grievous bodily harm, as well as causing damage to various motor vehicles, through imprudence, carelessness and non-observance of regulations.

Yesterday, the court heard how the organising committee had agreed that water-filled barriers should be used.

But court-appointed expert Mario Cassar yesterday said that the barriers were not filled on the day in question. It also emerged that the crowd was 7.3m away from the track when the incident took place.

From mechanical court expert Joseph Zammit’s testimony it emerged that a snapped bolt was found in the Porsche after the incident. The bolt had snapped due to the high impact. Zammit had compiled a report for the magisterial inquiry, where he had concluded that the accident had primarily been caused by a lack of control due to excessive speeding and because the car ended up on the wrong side of the track, which was not paved.

It emerged that the inquiring magistrate wanted Zammit to examine another supercar involved in the event, but the day after, while the inquiry was ongoing, the other supercars had been sent back overseas.

Zammit confirmed he had never examined a Porsche 918 Spyder before. He also said he was not aware that the supercar stored data.

If data was extracted from the car this did not take place in front of him.

The witness repeatedly said he was tasked with assessing the damage to the car, which included testing for damage of a mechanical nature.

He concluded that the car was being driven at an excessive speed, not from the data stored by the car’s electronics, but from the damage on impact.

Before the car was taken to the police compound, it was stored at Muscat’s Motors, upon the advice of German engineers who said the car should be stored at the national agent until police could take it in.

The head of aviation security and representatives of the Home Affairs Ministry took the stand to describe how no specifications were imposed in relation to the cars when a legal notice was issued and a green light was given for the runway to be made accessible to the public on the day of the event.

Bailey is being represented by lawyer Giannella de Marco while Darmanin has Joe Giglio as legal counsel.

Other members of the organisational committee are represented by lawyer Stefano Filletti.

Lawyers Roberto Montalto and Michael Grech are appearing as parte civile for the victims.

Police Inspectors Josric Mifsud, Silvio Magro and Hubert Cini are prosecuting.