Motorist gets six-month jail term for repeatedly driving without a licence
Man loses bail deposit, is fined €11,000 and ordered to pay damages after crashing into police car
A man has been sentenced to six months in jail and fined €11,000 for repeatedly driving without a licence and insurance cover and breaching bail.
Lee Formosa, 21, from Marsa, was also convicted on Wednesday of disobeying police orders, reckless driving and damaging a police car.
The case dates back to 30 January 2025, when police officers tried to flag down Formosa as he drove a Citroen in St Paul's Bay, where he was seen behaving suspiciously.
He sped off with the police in tow. The chase ended when Formosa crashed his vehicle into another police car.
During the court proceedings, it emerged that damages to the police car amounted to €8,335.
Documents presented in court showed that Formosa was also convicted of driving without a licence in July 2021, August 2021, May 2022 and December 2023. After that conviction, he was banned from driving for 12 months.
He had a similar conviction in May 2025 and was fined €6,000 and disqualified from obtaining a driving licence for a further 12 months.
It also emerged that Formosa was under two sets of bail conditions, one imposed by a court in June 2023 against a €3,000 deposit and a €6,000 personal guarantee.
The second set of bail conditions was imposed in December 2023 against a €2,000 deposit and a €20,000 personal guarantee.
On Wednesday, the court observed that Formosa had not only breached his bail conditions by committing an offence but had done so at a time when he should have been at home.
Magistrate Victor Axiak declared that despite the accused's early admission, he did not deserve any clemency because it was clear that he had no respect towards the justice system, the authorities, and the laws, especially traffic regulations. He had repeatedly breached bail conditions, continued to drive without a driving licence or insurance cover, and drove recklessly.
Formosa was therefore condemned to six months imprisonment and ordered to pay an €11,000 fine. The court also ordered that he forfeit a total of €2,000 in bail deposits and that he pay €8,335 in damages to the government of Malta within six months. He was disqualified from holding a driving licence for three years.
Police inspector Italo Mizzi prosecuted. Lawyer José Herrera assisted the accused.