Updated 10.55am
A woman involved in a Baħar ic-Cagħaq collision that left a motorcyclist seriously injured has pleaded guilty on all charges, except reckless driving.
Yoana Valentinova Gatt, a 44-year-old Bulgarian national living in St Paul’s Bay, admitted causing grievous bodily harm through negligence, damaging the victim’s motorcycle, driving under the influence and drink driving.
A breathalyser test had revealed she was six times over the legal limit, with the test marking 124.9 μg/100ml (microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml breath).
On Wednesday morning, police inspector Nathan Bugeja told the court the police were informed about a collision between a car and a motorcycle just before the exit to the roundabout at about 3.37pm.
Initially, the motorcyclist was certified as being in critical condition.
CCTV footage captured the whole accident as it happened.
“The motorcycle was at the stop sign on the give way, when Gatt ran over it,” Bugeja told the court.
Legal aid lawyer Nadya Fiott asked whether her client had been speeding, and Bugeja said that while he could not calculate the speed from watching the CCTV footage, “it did not show any large amounts of speed”.
After Bugeja stepped off the stand, Fiott told the court that her client would like to plead guilty except for the charge relating to reckless driving. Valentinova Gatt then pleaded guilty to four out of five charges.
The court warned her of the legal consequences of such a plea, noting that she was facing six months to one year imprisonment. The woman reiterated her guilty plea.
Sergeant Damian Galea from the Road Policing Unit told the court that he went onsite and informed the accused that a breathalyser test was being requested. He said this was done after the woman gave conflicting statements saying that she had just dropped off her daughter while in the same breath saying she was on the way to pick her up.
Five men lifted car to release trapped motorcyclist
Three civilian witnesses then took the stand.
Matthew Bianco recalled he was in a cab with his wife. He saw two vehicles – a small red car which had hit a slightly larger motorbike. The cab driver drove slowly on the other side, and as they were passing by, Bianco saw two legs sticking out in front of the right front wheel while the rest of the body was trapped under the vehicle.
The couple asked the driver to stop so they could assist. Bianco, who is a first aider, got out of the car. There were other men who came by and five of them lifted the car and pushed it back between 1.5m and 2 metres. The engine was still running, they switched it off and pulled up the handbrake. He then went back to assist the motorcyclist, who still had his helmet on.
The car had been resting on the motorcyclist’s chest and face, and he had lacerations, the witness recalled.
Testifying about the car driver, Bianco said there was a foreign East European woman who told him “I don’t know where he came from, I didn’t see him”. Bianco told the car driver to sit down as he placed the motorcyclist in a recovery position.
His wife, Christine, also testified similarly adding that they did not see the crash.
Jamie Zammit was driving right behind Valentinova Gatt. He explained that he was the one to call the ambulance, adding that it all happened so fast.
Asked if she was speeding, the witness said he does not think so as she was driving at similar speed to his.
The case continues later on Wednesday as the prosecution and defence are set to make their submissions on the accused’s bail request.
Magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici is presiding over the case. Police inspector Nathan Bugeja prosecuted. Legal aid lawyer Nadya Fiott assisted the accused.