The teenager charged over a fatal hit-and-run accident last month was allowed by his father to drive the car even when he knew his son did not hold a driving licence, a court heard yesterday.

This emerged in the compilation of evidence in the case against Mel Spiteri, 18, of Birkirkara who stands charged with the involuntary homicide of 77-year-old Elizabeth Tucknutt Whilems in Qawra.

Elisa Panzavecchia, a passenger in the car being driven by Mr Spiteri on the night of the accident, on June 26, told Magistrate Miriam Hayman yesterday that Victor Spiteri, former chairman of the Public Transport Association, knew his son had taken his sporty Mitsubishi FTO because she could remember him telling the accused to drive slowly.

When she testified in the previous sitting, last week, Ms Panzavecchia had said her former boyfriend’s father did not know he had taken the car. However, it later transpired that this contradicted the version of events she gave to the inquiring magistrate.

She was yesterday sternly warned by Magistrate Hayman against lying under oath.

The magistrate read out the account the witness had given to the magistrate investigating the case and when the court reached the part where Ms Panzavecchia described how the accused was told by his father to drive slowly, the witness broke down crying.

She then said that, shortly before the accident, which occurred at about 11 p.m., she was with the accused and his parents at their boathouse in Qawra when her ex-boyfriend decided to take the car to go for a drive. He took the keys from the kitchen and, on leaving, his father told him to drive slowly. They got into the car that was parked in the same street and drove off.

The witness said that shortly before the impact the accused was driving faster than he should have.

Another witness, Ryan Micallef, who felt ill while testifying during the last sitting, was warned he might incriminate himself and, so, he decided not to take the stand.

Mr Micallef had been given the same warning in the last sitting but still decided to testify saying, among other things, that he had told the accused to dump the car shortly after the accident.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono made a second request for bail and after Police Inspector Michael Mallia declared the most important witnesses had testified, Magistrate Hayman granted the accused bail against a personal guarantee of €10,000 and a deposit of €2,300.

The prosecuting officer noted that the accused worked as a speedboat driver and was actually driving one with a parachute ride attached to it when his licence did not allow him to carry people. This still had to be confirmed by the transport authority, he said, but he asked the court to stop the accused from working until the matter was confirmed. The request was upheld.

The case continues.