A cabby was yesterday charged with involuntarily injuring an American tourist and her two sons when the horse drawn carriage he was driving toppled over after the horse bolted.

Neil Fenech, 25, of San Gwann, who walked into court on crutches, was charged in court after he was released from hospital where he was treated for the injuries he sustained during the same incident.

Mr Fenech pleaded not guilty to involuntarily seriously injuring Roya Azizi and her son Bradford as well as involuntarily slightly injuring her other son Roderick. The incident took place on Monday afternoon in Floriana when the horse bolted and the carriage carrying the cabby and the tourists toppled over.

Mr Fenech also pleaded not guilty to driving the carriage dangerously and relapsing. In court, he was heard saying that it was just an accident.

Police inspector Pierre Micallef Grimaud told magistrate Lawrence Quintano that he charged Mr Fenech in court under arrest because the American family were foreign and were due to testify with urgency. However, although the three family members were summoned to appear in court, they did not turn up.

Magistrate Quintano granted Mr Fenech bail against a personal guarantee of Lm2,000.