Teenage girl slashed in the face after driving dispute, court told

Updated 4.58pm

A fight that started when two cars drove closely alongside each other in Qormi ended with a 17-year-old girl suffering a slash to the face and "covered in blood from head to toe", a court heard.

On Thursday, proceedings continued against Alaiyahh Borg, 18, who is accused of attacking the teenager, whose name cannot be published by court order. Doctors certified the victim's injuries as grievous.

Two others, Kenley Borg and Liam Agius, are also charged, accused of complicity. The three were first arraigned on March 12 and remain under arrest. 

Testifying via video link, the teenager told the court she was in the passenger seat of her boyfriend's car when the altercation began.

As her boyfriend’s car drove closely side by side with another, the 17-year-old and her boyfriend soon began a verbal fight with the occupants of the other car, in which Alaiyah, Kenley and Liam were.

“She (Alaiyah) was telling me to f*** off (b’għ*xx kemm għandi) and insulting my dead relatives,” the alleged victim, with a visible scar on her face, told the court.

The fight then continued via messages and phone calls between the two cars until they agreed to meet on a street in Birkirkara, in the Ta’ Paris area, and parked near each other.

The victim testified that she got out of the car with the intention of speaking “civilly”, but was not given the chance to do so as Borg immediately came up to her and started beating her.

She said that, besides the accused, there were others waiting for her and her 20-year-old boyfriend to fight.

A fight involving the men also took place, but because no one reported that altercation to the police, there are no charges related to it.

‘Blood from head to toe’

The victim also said that she called her brother, who came to the Birkirkara street with his girlfriend. The brother was able to find where they were through the “Find My iPhone” feature.

The brother’s girlfriend, who also cannot be named, testified on Thursday.

She said that the fight had already begun when she arrived at the scene and that she tried to break it up. She said she found the victim pinned to a wall while Alaiyah was beating her.

“I grabbed her (Alaiyah) from behind and pulled her back. I then found X (the victim) covered in blood from head to toe.”

She said that the victim had a visible gash on her forehead and soon realised there was a deep cut on her face. She immediately called the victim’s brother and put her in the victim’s boyfriend’s car.

The witness said that the victim was losing consciousness on the way to Mater Dei Hospital and could barely stand on her feet as they entered the emergency room.

The victim’s boyfriend chose not to testify on Thursday because of charges that could be brought against him in the future.

Bail decision

The defence lawyers representing the three accused argued for bail.

They said that the civilian witnesses had given their testimony, that the three people involved had full-time jobs and that Alaiyahh Borg is the mother of an eight-month-old child.

The prosecution did not object to the bail pleas.

Magistrate Lara Lafranco granted all three accused bail and issued a protection order in favour of the victims.

She also ordered that the phones of the victim, Alaiyah Borg and Kenley Borg be examined in relation to the messages mentioned during Thursday’s testimony.

AG lawyers Etienne Savona and Julia Micallef Stafrace prosecuted, assisted by police inspector Ylenia Xerri.

Lawyers José Herrera and Naomi Spiteri appeared for Kenley Borg. Lawyers Franco Debono and Charles Mercieca appeared for Aaliyah Borg. Lawyers Axl Camilleri and Matthew Xuereb appeared for Agius. Lawyer Alfred Abela appeared as parte civile.