Teen’s jet-ski crash earns suspended sentence

AN IRISH teenager has been given a suspended jail sentence after causing a jet-ski accident which injured two other tourists while on holiday in Malta.

The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had a six-month term of imprisonment suspended by a court in the capital, Valetta, earlier this week. He had admitted to being responsible for an accident in which his jet-ski collided with a paddle boat containing two people near the resort of Qawra last Sunday. Both suffered bruises and abrasions.

The court heard it was the first time the Irish youth had ever used a jet-ski. His lawyers explained that he had developed a pain in his wrist which caused him to lose control of the machine.

A police witness gave evidence that the boy had shown a marine leisure company a false identity card, which said he was over 18, to rent the equipment.

However, the magistrate said she was bound to record a conviction against the defendant because of the potentially serious consequences of the accident and the growing frequency of such collisions involving jet-skis.

She also accepted the boy’s apology to the court and noted the fact that he had no previous convictions.

He was ordered to pay €1,400 to the jet-ski rental company to pay for damage caused to the machine.