The driver charged over a crash that killed two men who were riding a motorcycle in Mosta on Saturday was involved in another violent incident involving a motorycle rider 20 years ago.

Karl Vella Petroni had been ordered to pay €16,000 in damages to a motorcyclist, who told a civil court how he threatened him and kicked him in the head after knocking him down.

In 2012 the civil court had found Vella Petroni was “uniquely responsible” for causing the accident when he drove into a sideroad in Naxxar and knocked over a motorcyclist in July 2003.

The motorcyclist suffered a broken arm and thumb that resulted in a 4% disability due to the likeliness of early onset arthritis. 

Earlier this week the 41-year-old logistics manager was back in court and pleaded not guilty to the involuntary homicide of Faizan Muhammad, 33, and Ali Abbas, 41. The two victims, both men from Pakistan who had been living in St Paul's Bay, were riding on the same Yamaha Crypton motorcycle when Vella Petroni's Smart car smashed into them on Triq iż-Żejfa at 6am. 

Two men from Pakistan were killed when Vella Petroni's Smart car collided with the motorbike they were riding. PHOTO: Malta Police

Vella Petroni was also charged with involuntary damage to third-party property, driving under the influence, careless, reckless and dangerous driving, driving without third-party insurance cover, breaching traffic regulations by crossing the white line as well as recidivism.

Magistrate Abigail Critien pointed out that his last brush with the law had been on similar charges in 2018. 

Motorcyclist knocked to the ground 

The online court database does not have records of a criminal court judgment involving Vella Petroni. Questions have been sent to the justice ministry about this.

Sources said Vella Petroni was acquitted in the first sitting of a Naxxar district hearing.

However, a civil court judgment outlines a case in which Vella Petroni was involved in the July 2003 accident. 

The court had heard the motorcyclist, Glenn Bartolo, testified that he was driving in traffic along St Paul’s Street in Naxxar at about 11.30pm when the car driven by Vella Petroni crossed over to drive into a side road - Arnaldo Fabriani Road - and knocked him to the ground.

Bartolo said he has seen Vella Petroni with a phone in his hand before the collision. Bartolo said that when he fell to the ground Vella Petroni and his friend  - who came from a side road - then kicked him in the head and told him that "he had nothing" and told him not to open his mouth.

Bartolo said he saw them turn his bike to face the other side of the road. This was corroborated by a traffic police officer, who was in the area directing the traffic caused by the ongoing Trade Fair in the area, who saw two men kick Bartolo and the two men said they moved the bike to allow traffic to flow.

The civil court noted that Bartolo spent some five days in hospital and was operated in the arm. He had broken his left arm and the right thumb. While he recovered well, he suffered a 4% permanent disability as he was at risk of suffering early-onset arthritis.

The civil court initially granted him €9,178 in compensation which was increased to €16,236 by the Court of Appeal.