A reformed drug addict who was caught with 25 ecstasy pills in her bra nine years ago has been jailed for nine months after a magistrate noted that the law forced her to give a mandatory jail term.

The 40-year-old mother of three, Lorraine Grima, from Cospicua, was caught with the pills in May 2005 during a road block and during the operative period of a suspended jail term.

The drugs were discovered hidden in her bra as she was being searched.

She told police that she did not want to leave them at home because her teenage children were there.

She did not want to leave pills at home because of children

She was charged with aggravated possession of the drug and committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term.

Taking the witness stand in February, some nine years after being caught, she said she had bought the drugs in a large number because they were available at a good price and when using them with friends she could keep partying for 24 hours.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras said that while it seemed that she had turned her life around and found a job, the accused had committed the crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term.

She said that while she was not bringing the suspended term into force, she was bound by law to give a mandatory prison sentence.

In reference to the time it took for proceedings to end, she also noted there were some sittings where Ms Grima failed to turn up and others where she was not notified.