Birkirkara woman jailed for 18 months for prostitution, resisting arrest

A 25-year-old woman from Birkirkara has been jailed for 18 months this afternoon, after she pleaded guilty to a host of charges relating to prostitution and resisting arrest last night.

The woman was arraigned under arrest before magistrate Ian Farrugia today, accused of violently resisting two officers who had been arresting her for loitering with intent.

Inspector John Spiteri also charged the woman with insulting the officers, breaching the peace, uttering obscene words in public, disobeying legitimate orders, loitering with intent in a public place, committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence, breaching a probation order and relapsing.

The woman pleaded guilty as charged, her lawyer Yanika Bugeja however clarifiedthat the woman's violent resistance consisted of a solitary kick.

Inspector Spiteri however argued that such behaviour was not acceptable. The accused had a drug problem, the inspector said and asked the court to order her to follow a drug rehabilitation program.

However magistrate Vella held that in order for these programmes to be effective, the will to begin them had to come from the person. “It can’t be forced,” he said.

The woman was sentenced to 12 months in prison for resisting arrest, to which a further six months from the previous suspended sentence was added, together with a fine of €4,000.

Magistrate Farrugia chided the accused for resisting the police and causing unnecessary trouble to herself, ruing that at 25, she was too young to be going to prison.