A man who was accused of threatening council workers over wet paint used in front of his house has been acquitted of all charges.

Peter Peter Bonavia, 64, from Santa Venera, was accused of breaching the peace, swearing in public, exercising a presumed right, insulting two local council clerks and threatening two council workers.

The court heard how Mr Bonavia went to the council offices to complain about the use of black paint that was not drying up. He said he was leaving tyre marks in his garage whenever he parked his car inside.

Carmel Busuttil, a clerk at the Local Council, said Mr Bonavia entered the council offices on January 9, complaining that workers were painting the road where he lived with tar instead of black paint. He said he would seek legal action if this continued and called them “a bunch of idiots.” Sharon Busuttil, another council employee, also said Mr Bonavia called her and Mr Busuttil “a bunch of idiots” because council workers had painted the word SLOP instead of STOP.

Two council workers said they had been sent to cover up some recently painted yellow lines with black paint. Mr Bonavia threw sawdust on the fresh paint and they had to carry out the process for three times. They said that, after using the black paint for a third time, Mr Bonavia warned them not to approach his house anymore.

Mr Bonavia said council workers had been sent to paint yellow lines but were later sent to cover them up in black paint. However, the paint was not drying and he threw sawdust over it because he was leaving black tyre marks whenever he drove his car into his garage. The council workers repainted over the lines for a second and third time. He said he went to complain at the council offices and told the clerks he would seek damages if they used the same type of paint again. When he arrived home he spotted the two workers and told them to stop using the black paint. He denied that he had threatened the workers but said he had only warned them.

The court, presided by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, acquitted Mr Bonavia of all charges saying that the first two charges were not sufficiently proven. It also ruled that Mr Bonavia did not threaten the workers and was referring to the council workers, not the clerks, when he said they were a bunch of idiots. He had also not stopped the workers from carrying out their duties.

 

Lawyers Kris Busietta and Jason Azzopardi appeared for Mr Bonavia.