Indoor smoker handed 6 month suspended sentence and €4000 fine for assaulting policeman

A woman has admitted to kicking a police officer who stopped her from smoking inside a Paceville club last night.

Police Inspector Nikolai Sant arraigned 29 year old long-term St. Paul’s Bay resident Leanne Marie Collier before Magistrate Joe Mifsud this morning, telling the court that the woman had been stopped by police for smoking inside a club and had lashed out, kicking one of the officers.

Collier was charged with assaulting and resisting police, threatening or causing bodily harm to police, disturbing the public peace and disobeying lawful police orders. The court ruled that the last two charges were to be absorbed into the first charge.

The woman pleaded guilty and apologised for her actions. She was handed a sentence of imprisonment for 6 months, suspended for 4 years, together with a €4000 fine.

After the woman explained that she was the sole breadwinner for both her husband and her baby and ended up with between €50 to €100 left over at the end of the month, the court granted the woman a 3 year period in which to pay the €4000 fine, saying it would not be fixing monthly installments.

Dr Yanika Vidal was defence counsel.