Ex-girlfriend's testimony sends pimp to jail

A man was jailed for 18 months on prostitution and drug trafficking charges after his former girlfriend, whom he used to prostitute, testified against him.

The woman told the court that 32-year-old Vincent Attard was her pimp between 1995 and 1998. He was caught by the police following a tip-off and arraigned.

She said she used to live with him and he would spend all her earnings on heroin for both of them. He would also sell drugs from City Gate, Valletta, and along with packets of heroin he used to carry over €1,800 in cash, she added.

The defence team maintained she was not a credible witness as she had changed her testimony four times in the course of the proceedings.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano said the star witness was the woman and, although the defence team had tried to discredit her because she had changed her version so many times, she was still credible.

The court described her as a "completely safe" witness and would not cast aside her testimony, as the defence team had done.

After taking into consideration her testimony and the time it took to conclude the case, the court jailed Mr Attard for 18 months and fined him €2,000.

Superintendent Nicholas Ciappara prosecuted.

The woman's name is not being published to protect her identity.