Amal Chiheb Vella, 37 of St Paul's Bay was today conditionally discharged for a year after a court found her guilty of having damaged the car used by a man who was assaulting her.

The car actually belonged to Burmarrad Commercials.

The court found that damage of €1,457 was caused to the car following an argument between the woman and a man, Salem Alusi. The woman claimed that the man was drunk and had beaten her.

She admitted damaging parts of the car and said she would not have done so had she known it did not belong to Mr Alusi.

The court said such a statement showed that the woman had wilfully damaged the car.

The accused was given a conditional discharge after the court established that she had been attacked and was defending her children. Reference was also made to her clean conduct sheet.