Zabbar woman jailed

A Zabbar woman was yesterday jailed for two months, put on probation for three years and fined Lm300 for heroin possession and trafficking.

Rita Schembri, 33, was found guilty of possessing and trafficking in the drug and breaching the conditions of a previous release on and before October 1996.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard Schembri testify that she had been abusing heroin and cocaine since 1991 and used to spend up to Lm20 a day on drugs. She said she bought the drugs from a Birzebbuga man known as Cikku who was in his 50s but did not know his surname.

She said she once bought five grammes of heroin for Lm125 and she then gave some of it to a friend, Luciano Vella, because he helped her divide it into paper sachets. She said she often gave the drug to a third person but did not ask for money in return.

The evidence, the magistrate noted, proved the charges brought against her.

The magistrate said Schembri had personal problems and that she had cooperated with the police in their investigations. Consequently, the minimal punishment was appropriate.

She ordered Schembri to undertake 100 hours of community work at the Eden Foundation.

Police Inspector Neville Aquilina prosecuted.