“Even if I don’t have a green pass, you can’t stop me from having breakfast.” The uproar broke out inside the bar in the Montefeltro est service area, in January 2022. It was the period in which the restrictions imposed by the government to contain the Covid-19 pandemic allowed access to public establishments only to people in possession of a green passport. Even though he didn’t have one, a 60-year-old from Brindisi – who that day was traveling for work on the Rimini section of the A14 – still showed up at the service station with the specific desire to eat breakfast. A furious discussion had broken out, with heated tones and endless controversy, with the bartender of the place, when she had asked the traveler from Puglia to show her the green certificate. The man had gone into a rage, claiming his right to stay in the bar and drink his coffee in peace and speaking of the “unconstitutionality” of the green pass. The argument had quickly taken on a very serious tone and other employees had come to the barmaid’s aid and had tried to bring the man back to milder advice. The 60-year-old, however, didn’t want to give up at all: “I’ll report you” he said, pointing his finger at them.
His behavior prompted the workers to call the police. When the patrol arrived on site, however, the traveler had already left. However, this was not enough to avoid a complaint. The barmaid, feeling threatened by her attitude, had in fact decided to file a complaint, hypothesizing the crime of private violence. The man was then sent to trial, but in recent days the single judge of Rimini acquitted him due to the “particular tenuousness of the fact”, as already supported by the defense lawyer, Matteo Paruscio.
However, he was sentenced to pay compensation for the legal costs incurred by the barmaid who was a civil party. The issue of compensation for damages will be addressed in civil court. In any case, the lawyer Paruscio does not rule out a possible appeal for a complete acquittal of his client.
