An angry mother sent people to torch the front door of her daughter’s foster parents’ house to discourage them from adopting the child.

The young girl was inside the house at the time of the incident on July 19.

The 29-year-old mother, from Birkirkara, admitted being an accomplice in the arson and to resorting to violence. She was charged with causing about €2,500 in damage to the door and the house.

The incident occurred at 4.40pm in Gżira. A man who happened to be opening a window of a house across the road realised what was happening. He threw buckets of water and sand at the door until firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze.

Sources said the daughter was under a care order and was being looked after by a foster family pending adoption proceedings.

It is understood that Ms Grech – who in the past also threatened Appoġġ social workers – commissioned third parties to target the foster care family when she discovered who they were and where they lived.

The sources said that two weeks earlier the foster father found two of his car tyres slashed.

Magistrate Carol Peralta heard the woman plead guilty to the charges brought against her and ordered the Director of Probation Services to draw up a pre-sentencing report on her. He put off the case for judgment and remanded the woman in custody.

Police Inspectors Jason Francis Sultana and Saviour Baldacchino prosecuted.