The mother requesting a second presidential pardon after a court found she did not grant her estranged husband access to their son is relieved she will never have to go back to prison for such an offence.

“The nightmare is finally over,” the 57-year-old teacher said yesterday as she walked out of the appeals court after a one-month jail term was substituted with a €250 fine.

The woman spent 19 days behind bars last year after she was sentenced for three months in jail – the maximum punishment – for denying her ex-husband access on 13 occasions between December 2010 and January 2011.

She was released early after being granted a presidential pardon following a huge public outcry. The public feeling was that such an offence did not deserve jail time.

Speaking to The Times shortly after the decision, her son had said his mother never forced him not to visit his father and she did not deserve imprisonment.

Her ex-husband had said he was “disgusted” and “deeply hurt” by the pardon, deeming it unfair that she got away with not letting him see his son.

For the past months, the woman has been “worried sick” over the pending appeal.

She had originally been jailed for a month for not granting her husband access on October 15 and 16 and December 9, 2011.

During yesterday’s sitting, Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano cleared her of not granting access on December 9 as there may have been a valid reason.

He, however, confirmed guilt on the other two occasions.

He noted that failing to grant access was a serious matter and there were countries where this was punishable by jail. He pointed out the son had now turned 18 and, in the circumstances, the judge substituted the jail term with a €250 fine.

Her lawyer, Ludvic Caruana, said there were no other pending court cases and, now that her son was an adult, there was no risk of future proceedings.

He said he would consult with his client and could decide to withdraw the second request for a presidential pardon made in relation to the appeal decided yesterday.

Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, the woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, thanked all those who had supported her throughout her ordeal.

“My advice to people is to be careful when signing child access contracts and to review them regularly.

“The needs of a children change as they get older and can cause problems,” she said.

She also cautioned couples to ensure that any arrangements reached through mediation were put in writing to avoid problems at a later stage.

“This experience made me realise there are a lot of good people out there,” she said, adding she had found support from women inmates during her brief stay in jail.

She said she would like to return the favour by giving them items such as crafts, magazines and books, which they would appreciate.