A Nigerian mother who came to Malta from Italy to seek a job has been handed a suspended jail sentence for using false travel documents.

Nigerian-born Peace Edet, 41, with a Nigerian passport and an Italian ID card, allegedly left her kids behind in Italy where she was residing, so as to take up ajob here for a while and then eventually return to Italy, the court was told.

The prosecution explained that this was not the woman's first irregular entry, having allegedly travelled to Malta with false documents on earlier occasions. This time she was unlucky owing to stricter border controls following the suspension of the Schengen Agreement, the prosecution stressed.

(Similar cases ended up in court last week)

The court, presided by Magistrate Josette Demicoli, heard the accused plead guilty to the charges.

"I want to say something please," the mother pleaded with the magistrate, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I am a single mother. Everything I did was for my children."

I am a single mother. Everything I did was for my children.

The defence argued that in similar cases the courts had granted a suspended sentence. Besides, the accused had cooperated fully with the police, telling them how she came to Malta and how she had obtained the false document.

The court declared the accused guilty and condemned her to a jail term of 18 months suspended for three years.

Inspector Victor Aquilina prosecuted.

Lawyer Patrick Valentino was legal aid.