Prostitute, pimp jailed three years for extortion

A Marsa prostitute and her “boyfriend” were jailed for three years after a court found them guilty of extorting over Lm1,000 (€2,400) from a hapless punter.

Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia heard Inspector Louise Calleja explain how Pauline Pisani and Stephen Mifsud had made a series of extortionate demands for fictitious claims, backed up by threats of violence, to a man who had used Pisani’s services – amongst them an abortion and treatment for a bladder infection.

The court was told how in August 2007, the victim went to Marsa to pick up a prostitute, choosing Pisani, who was 17 at the time and went by the name Roberta. Immediately after the deed was done, Pisani claimed the contraceptive they had used had burst and proceeded to demonstrate this by blowing air through it. She demanded Lm500 for an abortion and went to get her “husband”.

She returned soon after, with Mifsud who she introduced as Jason. Mifsud was carrying a sizeable rock in his hand and the threat of violence was clear, if unstated. The victim gave them all the money he had at the time – Lm186, but this was not enough for the couple, so Mifsud got in the car and went with the victim to an ATM, where he collected another Lm100.

A week later, Pisani was waiting for the victim outside the factory where he worked and told him that she needed an abortion. The victim handed her another Lm112, but the woman was not satisfied with this, threatening to call her Mifsud again. Fearing trouble, the victim drove her to his house and game her another Lm250, also making the error of giving her his mobile telephone number.

That evening, he received a phonecall from Pisani, asking for a further Lm250. On that occasion, said the victim, he remembered the male threatening to torch his car and his home if he gave them trouble. Once more fearing for his safety, the victim met with Pisani Mifsud and another man – introduced as Pisani’s father – that evening, handing over another Lm250.

But the couple were not finished with their victim, calling him up once more the next day. Pisani claimed to have contracted a bladder infection from him and demanded Lm150.  After handing over the money, the victim made a report to the police. He picked out the pair from a series of photographs at the police station and they were subsequently arrested.

Magistrate Farrugia held that the case hinged on whether the two persons accused were the same Roberta and Jason that had committed the acts. She noted that the victim had picked out the accused from a set of photographs without difficulty and had recognised Mifsud in court. At first he did not recognise Pisani, who he said had put on a lot of weight.

“She is barely recognisable, in fact I can only recognise her from her eyes upwards, but I will not forget the face that did what it did to me.”

The court noted that he had recognised the slimmer photograph of Pisani and held that he had satisfied the legal requirements in this regard.

The court held that the accusation of extortion was proven, but the amount which was actually taken, Lm1,068 (€2,489), was less than that claimed.

It noted the long criminal records of the two accused and found them guilty of extortion. In addition to the extortion charge, Pisani was found guilty of loitering with intent, whilst Mifsud was also found guilty of being her pimp and relapsing

The pair were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.