Woman jailed for drug trafficking

A 37-year-old woman was yesterday jailed for two years after she admitted to trafficking in heroin and cocaine three years ago.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti jailed Josette Bickle after she filed a guilty plea to the possession of the two drugs and trafficking in them on and before August 2003.

Magistrate Grixti noted how Ms Bickle was arraigned following investigations into the death of a man who had been found dead in a Valletta apartment.

Investigations revealed that the man had just been released from Mount Carmel Hospital and that, together with a friend, he had bought drugs from Ms Bickle outside St Luke Hospital's detox centre.

After hearing how Ms Bickle had filed a guilty plea the magistrate noted that the only tie there existed between her and the dead man were allegations that she had sold him drugs.

The magistrate added that Ms Bickle had not been charged with causing the man's death and therefore, the facts surrounding his death were only being viewed in the light of the charges pressed against Ms Bickle.

The magistrate jailed her for two years and fined her Lm1,500.

Police Inspectors Nezren Grixti and Ramon Mercieca prosecuted.