Two drug addicts were each jailed for a year today for breaching probation conditions.

In the first case police inspector Silvio Magro testified that Sonia Bajada, 42, from Msida repeatedly failed to attend court sittings and could not be found at home. The court heard that on one occasion she had claimed she needed to go to Mount Carmel Hospital, but it later transpired that it was not true.

As a result the police placed her on the wanted list until she was arrested.

Probation officer Deborah Farrugia testified that she had tried in vain to contact Ms Bajada, but the only time she replied to her phone call, the accused hung up. On May 2, the defendant tested positive for drugs.

In the second case, 33-year-old Matthew Abela from Gzira was found guilty of missing five of his eight appointments with probation officer Sharlet Tabone. She never produced a medical certificate to justify his absence, except once. Furthermore, two months ago he also tested positive for cocaine and heroin.

During cross examination, defence lawyer Joseph Mizzi said that a person on medication could still test positive, even if he or she was clean.

In her reply, the probation officer pointed out that the sample had been tested for the second time at Mater Dei Hospital, and that such coincidence was remote in cases involving cocaine.

Asked by the court, she said that Mr Abela kept his methadone appointments but was not in regular contact with Caritas.

In its decisions, the court noted that in both cases the defendants were not showing any genuine commitment to address their drug addiction and had failed to seize the opportunity given to them by the court.

Consequently, they were also found guilty of the original offence.  Ms Bajada she had been convicted of theft from a shop at Malta International Airport, whereas Mr Abela had been found guilty of stealing a car.

The court instructed the director of prisons to make the necessary arrangements so that the two of them would start a drug rehabilitation programme during their stay behind bars.

Police inspector Jonathan Ransley prosecuted.