The son of a motorcyclist who was killed in a collision four years ago has spoken of his family’s heartbreak and disappointment after the woman responsible for his father’s death escaped jail time in an appeal judgment on Friday.

Mark Camilleri was killed on Mistra Bridge in 2020 when his motorbike collided with a car driven by Lithuanian woman Ligita Imbrasiene.

Last November, a court acquitted Imbrasiene of the 46-year-old contractor’s death, concluding that Camilleri had been driving recklessly when he died. The court found he was travelling at 195km/h while standing up with his right hand in the air, preventing him from using both brakes.

But that version of events was met with disbelief by those in the motorcycle community, who argued it would have been impossible for him to have been standing at those speeds, let alone operate the throttle with his right hand in the air.

On Friday, the appeal court overturned the original decision. It found Imbrasiene guilty of involuntary homicide and sentenced her to a one-year jail term suspended for six months.

Reacting to the sentence, Camilleri’s family said they were “very disappointed” and paid tribute to the person they described as a “massive family man”.

Speaking for the family, Camilleri’s 29-year-old son Nathan said they were “very happy his name has been cleared”, adding that the original verdict blaming his late father was “disgusting”.

However, the family was unhappy with the sentence handed down to the driver.

Nathan said they were “very happy his name has been cleared”, adding that the original verdict blaming his late father was “disgusting”

Camilleri, who grew up in Malta but now lives in Australia with his fiancée, three-year-old daughter and two young sons, said: “We don’t think it was a fair call. Six months probation? In Australia, there would have been jail time. She got off with a slap on the wrist.”

Slamming the way the case had been handled, Camilleri said there was “so much evidence that wasn’t brought forward”, pointing to unused video footage he said showed his father was not responsible for the accident.

Camilleri, who is a keen motorcyclist himself, said that when he told his 600-strong motorcycle community in Australia about the case they been “gobsmacked” at the version of events heard in November, just like their fellow riders in Malta.

He stressed his father “used to drive on that road every day” and there was “no way” he could have accelerated up to almost 200km/h on that stretch of road.

“With respect to those involved, those calculations were wrong on all counts,” said Camilleri, calling the accusations of excessive speeding “out of character” for his father.

“My father always taught me that speed is a killer; his intention when he went out on the motorbike was always just to return home safely,” he said, adding he didn’t believe “for one second he was doing those speeds”.

‘So many good qualities’

Camilleri said it was difficult to describe his father because “he was a person with so many good qualities”.

Calling him “easy going” and without judgement, he said, “you could chat with him about anything”, stressing he learned a lot from his late father.

“He taught us so much, he used to be very handy; he could do tiling, electrical work – he was a real ‘all-round’ person, a ‘turnkey’ bloke,” he said, adding “if he didn’t know how to do something, he’d learn how to”.

Describing his father as “getting along with everyone,” Camilleri said his friends enjoyed spending time with him too and “wondered why they couldn’t have fathers like him”.

He recounted how he and his father used to go partying together in Paceville. “I don’t know anyone else that can party with their father.”

‘My sister still tears up’

Camilleri said the fatal accident occurred one month after his father visited him and his 26-year-old sister Nicole in Australia.

“Me and my sister were together the night we got the call, and we didn’t know what to do,” he said, describing his sister as still not being able to discuss her father and “tearing up” at the mention of his name.

Describing him as still in his prime when he was “ripped away” from the family, Camilleri said his father’s death had affected them all and he was only recently coming to terms with it.

His father’s death had been particularly difficult for his youngest sister who was 10 years old at the time, he said.

And while his late father got the chance to meet his two grandsons, his death occurred before the birth of his granddaughter.

“My boys keep asking when they can see him again, and my daughter sees photos of him and asks, ‘who’s that?’ It’s heartbreaking.”

Describing “mental health issues” following his father’s death, Camilleri said the way the case had been handled had changed how he thinks about his homeland.

Expressing his “stress and frustration” at the country’s justice system, he said that while he “loved” Malta and had always planned to move back with his family, the court case had made him reconsider.

“My biggest fear is what if something happens to my kids in Malta,” he said.

The family’s lawyer José Herrera said the family was planning to claim damages, which were usually worked out according to a person’s projected earnings until retirement, minus a “consumption” figure of around one-fifth.

However, he said that in this case he did not think the 20 per cent should be taken out due to the case having dragged on so long.

Herrera said that while the case had been won, the police had “carelessly” failed to submit camera footage of the accident as evidence in the case.

“The police had the best evidence but didn’t use it,” he said. “I was amazed how that document was omitted but it was perfectly clear even on the evidence presented that the deceased was not at fault.”