A 41-year-old British national residing in Gozo has pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Joey Cutajar, an Armed Forces of Malta soldier who lost his life in a traffic accident in Għajnsielem last Thursday.

Dominic Peter Hedges was arraigned before the Gozo court on Saturday morning in connection with the collision, which occurred on Thursday at around 6.45pm in Triq Borg Għarib.

Cutajar, 44, was riding a motorcycle when he was involved in a crash with a Volkswagen Polo driven by Hedges.

Hedges was charged with involuntary homicide, reckless and dangerous driving, overspeeding, failing to change direction or overtake another vehicle with due care, and causing damage to Cutajar's motorcycle. He entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

A request for bail was made by the defence but was opposed by the prosecution, which cited the seriousness of the charges and the early stage of the proceedings. The court upheld the objection and denied bail.

Cutajar has been confirmed as the first road fatality of 2026.

The case is being heard before Jean Paul Grech, with prosecution led by Keith Xerri. Lawyers Dejan Darmanin and Mauro Abela are appearing on behalf of the Attorney General.