A serial fraudster who tricked people into renting apartments and villas that did not belong to her was yesterday sentenced to two years and nine months in jail, only to be arraigned again a few hours later.

Annabelle Camilleri Monreal, 29, from Xemxija, who was last year arraigned over the scam involving Gozo farmhouses, was sentenced after pleading guilty to defrauding six people earlier this month.

Ms Camilleri Monreal admitted before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli that she accepted money for rentals of properties that were not hers.

She was sentenced to nine months behind bars and had a two-year suspended sentence brought into effect. A few hours later she appeared before Magistrate Doreen Clarke and pleaded not guilty to defrauding a long list of people.

We have people queuing outside the Qawra police station to file reports against her

Asking for bail, defence lawyer Noel Bianco said his client, who was paying back the money she owed, was a victim of usury.

Police Inspector Godwin Scerri shot back, saying there were queues of people outside the Qawra police station all waiting to file reports against her.

He said the accused had defrauded other people to repay people she had previously cheated.

The magistrate said the accused was not trustworthy, given her systematic conduct, and so Ms Camilleri Monreal was remanded in custody.

Last month, she was sentenced to seven months in jail after admitting to defrauding an Englishman of €1,000. He had paid her to rent an apartment in St Paul’s Bay that did not belong to her.

She has a number of pending fraud cases, including one in which she is accused of defrauding her former employer, Zahra Trading and Properties.