A driver who launched an angry tirade against blogger Manuel Delia when they met on a busy Gozo street and followed it up with a threatening phone call, was tracked down and prosecuted. 

The incident took place on a Saturday afternoon in February when the journalist was driving along Triq il-Magħmudija, at Għajnsielem, towards Triq l-Imġarr, together with his wife, daughter and her friend.

As Delia waited behind the wheel, third in line to exit onto Triq l-Imġarr, traffic moving in the opposite direction inched forward, probably slowed down by some badly parked vehicle that was causing an obstruction in Triq il-Magħmudija. 

A male driver, pulling up in the opposite direction, stuck his head out of the window, calling out to Delia and telling him to edge slightly forward to allow him to cross over into Triq il-Magħmudija.

But, stuck in traffic, his front bumper almost touching that of the driver in front of him, Delia had no room to manoeuvre. 

The drivers were stuck for "less than 10 seconds" as they manoeuvred their vehicles out of the jam. 

As the impatient driver drew up closer, irritation suddenly gave way to verbal abuse as he recognised the journalist.

Proclaiming himself to be a “Labour” supporter, the man launched a verbal attack, calling Delia “an unhappy [man]” who thought “too highly of himself” and who “ought to be ashamed of himself”.

Eventually both drivers continued on their way, heading in the opposite direction. 

Minutes later, Delia’s phone rang.

It was a private number but the male voice with its threatening tone was immediately identifiable to Delia who later that afternoon filed a police report about the incident.

The caller allegedly took up where he had left off during the face-to-face encounter, saying that he was a “Labourite” and threatening Delia for having made him wait in traffic, while levelling insults against the journalist whom he accused of being “fed up” with “his government”.

Police tracked down Edward Attard, a 37-year-old Qormi resident, as the suspect and charges were issued against him for insulting and threatening the alleged victim, causing him to fear violence and also doing so by means of electronic communication equipment. 

On the appointed day, Attard was summoned to appear before the Magistrates’ Court in Gozo where both Delia and his wife were also summoned as witnesses.

The accused turned up without a lawyer, saying that he did not need one since “this wasn’t a serious matter”.

However, Magistrate Simone Grech offered the man legal aid, remarking that it was for the court to decide whether the charges were serious or not and pointing out that those against Attard were serious indeed. 

Eventually, another lawyer who happened to be in court, stepped in as defence and the hearing proceeded with the testimonies of the Delia couple.

Inspector Josef Gauci, who investigated the records of Delia’s phone, testified that he had traced the call on that February 19 to the accused’s phone. 

A lawyer representing the service provider also confirmed on oath the source of that call.

The case continues in July. 

Inspector Bernard Charles Spiteri prosecuted. Lawyer Joshua Grech assisted the accused. 

Correction April 27, 2022: A previous version stated that the incident, rather than the traffic jam, lasted 'less than 10 seconds'.