Mechanic recalls client driving car ‘gas down’ towards him

A mechanic has recounted how one of his clients tried to run him over twice in quick succession, forcing him to first step aside and later leap onto the car’s bonnet as it sped towards him. He also claimed that the accused’s brother offered him €10,000 the following day if he agreed to drop charges. The incident happened following a heated argument between the two men in Cospicua earlier this month and led to the arrest of Zven Azzopardi, a 19-year-old Gudja shop owner.

Azzopardi was subsequently arraigned and charged with violently threatening his alleged victim, causing him to fear violence and a string of other offences related to the incident. He was denied bail upon arraignment after pleading not guilty. When proceedings against him continued, a court heard from his alleged victim, mechanic Joseph Debono.

Debono recalled how Azzopardi had brought two vehicles that needed repair to his garage in a Cospicua alley. Then one evening, around 9:00pm, some two weeks before the final incident, Azzopardi had turned up outside his home, shouting, swearing and challenging him to fight. Debono said he told him to “go away and leave me in peace.

” Two days later, Azzopardi called him, telling him to get the repairs done. Other calls ensued and the two argued over a caravan and a motorcycle which Debono had sold to Azzopardi. Then that Monday afternoon, Azzopardi turned up outside the mechanic’s workshop.

“At first he said that the works were good,” said Debono. But when the two started arguing, Azzopardi began to find fault with the mechanic’s work. “Just take your cars, take them away from here and don’t give me anything,” Debono had told Azzopardi, parking both vehicles outside his garage.

At that point, the accused got into one of the vehicles, a Kia, and drove further down the alley while hurling insults at the mechanic. He then turned and drove back “gas down” in his direction, Debono recalled. Had he not stepped away, he would have been hit, the alleged victim testified.

Minutes later, Debono faced another incident. Having driven out of the alley, Azzopardi returned while the mechanic was still standing outside. As the speeding vehicle approached, Debono flung himself onto the bonnet, smashing the car’s windscreen with his hand.

Debono later filed a police report, claiming that Azzopardi had also held a revolver in his direction. He told the court that the day after that incident, Azzopardi’s brother, Burton, had approached him while he was working outside the garage, offering him €10,000 to drop charges against Zven. However, Debono turned down the offer, saying that he “did not want to make a fool of the inspector.

” The alleged victim also recounted that second incident in separate proceedings against Burton Azzopardi, 21, who was charged with attempted tampering with evidence. The youth was out on bail over his alleged involvement in a gang abduction at Rabat last year. Azzopardi is one of several men facing charges in that incident, among them car dealer Christian Borg.

Following the mechanic’s testimony and that other civil witnesses, both brothers were granted bail during separate hearings this week. Magistrate Gabriella Vella, presiding over Zven Azzopardi’s case, granted bail against a deposit of €2,000, a personal guarantee of €10,000, daily signing of the bail book and under strict condition of not going anywhere at Cospicua except to the police station where he was to sign in relation to separate bail conditions. Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, presiding over Burton Azzopardi’s case, granted bail against a third-party guarantee for €5,000, a curfew between midnight and 5:00am and daily signing of the bail book.

Inspectors Darren Buhagiar and Kurt Farrugia prosecuted in Zven’s case. Inspector Gabriel Kitcher prosecuted in Burton’s case. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.

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