A couple of weeks before being arrested for allegedly breaching a driving ban, Liam Debono was involved in a near-collision while drifting in a BMW along a Żejtun street, a police officer told court on Wednesday. 

This fresh snippet of information was revealed in the compilation of evidence against the young man involved in last year’s hit-and-run incident, which caused police constable Simon Schembri to lose an arm.

An off-duty police officer who had been driving his personal car testified that on the evening of May 6 he had spotted a white BMW drifting along a Żejtun street.  The young driver was clearly recognisable as Liam Debono.

The policeman recalled how he had to swerve to avoid being hit by the BMW that drove on. He had immediately informed the control room but had not given chase.

This incident had taken place in Triq Toni Zahra, Żejtun, the policeman said adding that he had identified the driver as Liam Debono.

“I knew him. I had seen him on TV and I had also served as his escort when Liam was taken to court,” the officer replied when asked by defence counsel Victor Bugeja how he could be so sure.

“Besides I was only a couple of metres away.”

'Liam Debono never drove the cars'

The registered owner of that BMW, Kirsty Zammit, also testified after being duly cautioned by the court, confirming she also owned a Toyota Corsa that had been involved in a crash while driven by her father, Jason.

The young lady insisted that she drove both cars, and that she held all keys to the vehicles even when these were garaged.

“How can you be so sure? What about spare keys?” Magistrate Joseph Mifsud asked.

Yet the witness insisted upon her version even when the Court warned her of the gravity of her declaration, explaining that he could keep her in custody until she told the truth or take provision when delivering judgment should it result that she was not saying the truth.

Read: Liam Debono had been given drugs by his mother since he was nine

The young lady insisted that as far as she knew no spare keys had been cut and that “Liam Debono never drove the cars.”

Her father Jason Zammit was next to testify, explaining how on the day of the arrest, May 24, he had driven his Fiat from Tarxien until being stopped by police at Luqa.

From Tarxien until the moment of arrest, were there any stops? Inspector Fleri asked. “I don’t think so.” “

“Who was driving?” the magistrate asked.

“I choose not to answer that so as not to incriminate myself,” the witness replied, explaining that he occasionally drove Kirsty’s cars, in the presence of Liam Debono.

“I had the keys,” Mr Zammit said, adding that Liam would sometimes drive on private property while washing and garaging the cars.

The accused’s father, Anton Debono, when summoned chose not to testify in view of his family tie with the accused. He then took his seat behind the dock.

Probation officer followed Debono

Earlier on in the sitting, a female probation officer explained how she used to follow Liam Debono when he was placed under probation last July. She was to report to court every six months.

Magistrate Mifsud asked her directly why no report was filed in the records, the officer replying that indeed she had filed a note on January 8 at the One Stop Shop in court. “From then on I know nothing else.”

The officer explained that the office was having trouble with lost documents and in fact was adopting a new procedure.

There was a time when probation officers were under union directive and therefore she did not follow Mr Debono for a while, the witness continued.

Urine samples from Mr Debono prior to January gave “clean” results, but another sample on April 15 had tested positive for cannabis.

The director of the Criminal Courts next confirmed under oath that her searches had showed that no note concerning Mr Debono had been filed in January. The court said that it would decide upon the matter in due course.

'Don't destroy him'

Brian Abela, the registered owner of the vehicle Mr Debono had been driving when arrested, said under oath and after being cautioned, that the Fiat Uno was still registered in his name although he had sold it to Jason Zammit. The transfer had not been registered yet, he informed the court.

“Ha ngħidlek, tkissruhx” ['let me tell you, don't destroy him'] Jason Zammit had allegedly told police on the scene of the arrest, referring to his young companion. A police officer testified that Mr Zammit had said he was keeping Mr Debono with his company and that the youth had only driven a short distance.

The insurance policy document read that the Fiat was insured in favour of Brian Abela covering “any driver over 36.”

At the end of Wednesday’s hearing, the prosecution declared that it had no further evidence to produce. The defence lawyer, after consulting briefly his client, likewise said that he had nothing to add by way of evidence.

The case was adjourned to June 21 for judgment.

Inspectors Pierguido Saliba and Fabian Fleri prosecuted.