The Court of Magistrates has cleared Denilson Gialanze of all accusations connected to a hit-and-run incident in St Julian's, ruling that contradictory eyewitness testimony failed to conclusively identify him as the driver.

Gialanze had been facing eight charges tied to a collision on 4 March 2024 at around 9:24pm in Triq Sant'Andrija. The prosecution claimed he was driving negligently and dangerously, without a valid licence or insurance, and that he failed to stop, give details, or cooperate with police requests for information about the car's user. He was also accused of causing damage to a vehicle driven by Keith Abela.

Abela and his wife, Evadalina Galent, had been navigating the small roundabout near Pender Gardens when another car hit them from the side. Abela said the other driver initially stopped but then drove off toward Regional Road. The couple followed the vehicle and contacted police, with Galent managing to take a photo of the Mazda and its number plate.

In court, Abela identified Gialanze as the driver, saying he pulled up alongside the car during the brief chase and saw a young woman in the passenger seat. Under cross-examination, however, he admitted he did not see the driver at the exact moment of impact.

Galent offered a different version when asked to identify the driver, pointing instead to someone other than the accused and saying the person was only "maybe similar." The court highlighted this inconsistency as a decisive factor in the case.

Police affidavits, CCTV footage, and insurance records confirming the Mazda was insured in Gialanze's name were entered into evidence.

Magistrate Micallef Stafrace concluded that the conflicting identification evidence created significant doubt about who was behind the wheel. With the required level of certainty missing, the court found Gialanze not guilty of all charges. Requests for licence disqualification and penalty points also fell away as a result.