A Somali woman yesterday denied injuring a detention officer and a nurse who intervened to break up a brawl.

Hadra Mahmoud, 24, was involved in a fight that included Eritrean immigrants at the Lyster Barracks detention centre at Ħal Far on Monday at 11.45 a.m., sources close to the investigation said.

Detention officer Vincent Cesare and nurse Jesmond Micallef were allegedly hit by Ms Mahmoud with an empty 20-litre water tank as they tried to get the situation under control and stop the fighting.

She is also accused of slightly injuring two Eritrean immigrants – Rusom Snite and Musrat Gebretassey – during the incident.

Ms Mahmoud pleaded not guilty to violently resisting public officers, assaulting Mr Cesare and Mr Micallef and slightly injuring them.

She also denied slightly injuring the two Eritrean migrants, breaching the peace and disobeying orders.

In pleas on bail, legal aid lawyer Anthony Cutajar said that the charges “were nothing out of this world” and so her client should be granted bail.

Police inspectors Arthur Mercieca and Kevin Pulis argued that this was a serious situation, especially since it involved crimes against public officers.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella, citing the reasons mentioned by the prosecution, remanded the accused in custody.