Council workers were ordered to take homeless woman’s blankets, court hears

A woman accused of insulting police officers and breaching court orders broke down in court on Monday as she spoke about homelessness, abuse, and her refusal to enter a shelter without her dog: “the only thing I love in life.”

Ramona Vassallo had been arrested on 14 March after failing to appear in court for another case.

Police inspector Wayne Bonello told the court that, on the day of her arrest, officers from the Ħamrun district informed him that Vassallo “began shouting and insulting police officers” while she was being arrested.

She also repeatedly accused them of corruption and directed insults at a senior officer present.

She was then informed she would face additional charges for insulting the police.

Vassallo, representing herself in court, challenged parts of the police account, including the timing of events.

Addressing the witness directly, she said past experiences with the police led to her comments about corruption. She said the officers were free to sue her for libel if they wished.

She also told the court that she had been sleeping rough and feared losing her dog.

She said that she had refused accommodation at a homeless shelter in the past because she would not be allowed to keep her pet with her.

“The only thing upsetting me is that I’m in prison, away from my dog,” she said. “We’re together 24 hours a day… what will he feel?”

Clash with local council workers

A man who works in maintenance with the local council was next to take the stand.

He testified that on the morning of the day of arrest, he and colleagues were repainting a letterbox in the square.

“At one point a sergeant came out to speak to the woman,” the witness said, referring to Ramona Vassallo.

He told the court that she began hurling insults at his colleague and made explicit remarks about his daughter.

The sergeant advised them to file a report at the police station.

Vassallo said that she had “nothing against” the witness but alleged that his colleague had persistently targeted her.

She claimed that reports she tried to file against his colleague were ignored “because I am homeless”.

She alleged that her blankets were repeatedly removed during cold weather, leaving her exposed to the elements.

“I froze,” she told the court, adding that she lost feeling in her fingers and part of her foot as a result of the exposure.

At times, she said, she would end up giving her jacket to her dog to keep it warm.

The witness said he was not aware of such incidents and denied being involved.

He said that the mayor of Ħamrun had, on several occasions, ordered council workers to clear her belongings from the square.

However, he added that he had refused to carry out these orders himself.

Allegations of harassment and removal of belongings

Another council worker told the court that he had also been present during the incident in the square and that he had filed a report, since Vassallo addressed him directly.

He described hearing “a lot of obscene language” directed at him, including remarks about his family.

He added that there had been other occasions when Vassallo shouted insults at him as she passed by his home.

Vassallo denied ever offending his family, saying she “loved” his wife. She accused Muscat of having confronted her aggressively in the past, which he denied.

She also questioned him about whether he had removed her belongings, to which he replied that he had only cleared items from public areas as part of his duties, as ordered by the local mayor.

Vassallo repeated that her blankets were taken from her by council workers during the cold months, leaving her shivering through the winter nights.

The witness told the court that Vassallo would sometimes place large amounts of clothing in trees in the square, which he said caused damage to plants.

Vassallo denied this vehemently.

She said that she loved nature and animals, and suggested that her belongings were removed deliberately when temperatures dropped.

No bail application

The court also heard from a deputy registrar regarding bail records.

The bail application Vassallo claimed that she filed earlier was not in the court records, and so, bail could not be granted during the sitting.

At this point, Vassallo became visibly emotional, telling the court she wanted nothing except to be reunited with her dog.

“I don’t want property, nothing else,” she said through tears. “My dog is my life.”

The case was adjourned to 15 April at 9:30am.