Guilty of injuring lover's wife

A Naxxar woman was yesterday given a two-year jail term suspended for four years for slightly injuring her lover's wife.

Afrah Borg, 27, was however acquitted of attempted murder after Magistrate Abigail Lofaro noted that the Attorney General had opted not to indict Borg on the charge filed by the police.

Borg pleaded guilty to holding Doris Edwards against her will in Siggiewi on March 16, 2001 at 9.45 p.m. and slightly injuring her.

She also pleaded guilty to stealing Darren Edwards' Honda Civic from Qawra at 7.30 p.m. and to two counts of the illegal possession of a knife and one of the illegal possession of an imitation firearm.

Magistrate Lofaro heard how police were told that someone had tried to burgle a Siggiewi house on March 16, 2001 and the burglar had been caught red-handed and detained at the house.

But when they arrived on the scene, they realised that it was not a burglary case but that in reality someone had tried to kill a shocked Doris Edwards. Police found brown tape, two sets of handcuffs, a nylon stocking and a mobile phone on the Edwards' bed.

Edwards told police how she got home with the children and saw her husband's car parked outside. She walked into the house and called her husband but there was no reply.

She walked into the bedroom and saw that the lampshade was lit and covered with pyjamas and suspected that something was not right.

She turned to walk out of the room, saw Borg with a knife in her hand and started shouting for help.

The two women struggled until eventually Edwards managed to get out of the room. But the struggle continued until they fell down the stairs, the knife fell out of Borg's hand, Edwards picked it up and used it to defend herself against Borg.

Borg then drove off to the police headquarters in Darren Edwards' car.

The magistrate also heard how Borg told police she had an affair with Darren Edwards' husband and that since she interfered in their affair they had decided to kill her.

Borg said that Edwards had given her the keys to the house and his car to facilitate her entry into the house. But he denied his involvement in the incident.

Magistrate Lofaro noted that Borg had cooperated with police and had turned herself in immediately after the incident. She also noted that she had a clean criminal record and had filed a guilty plea.

Borg was also put under a supervision order for three years.

Police Inspectors David Saliba and Paul Bond prosecuted.