A 40-year-old single mother from Valletta whose underage sons have repeatedly hit the headlines for being at the wheel of her car was today was granted bail.
The latest incident was last Monday when her 17-year-old son hit a parked vehicle while driving her BMW in Triq il-Lanċa, Valletta. Last month, he was involved in a car chase with the police before he was arrested.
His younger brother, who is 12, has been repeatedly caught driving and is also at the heart of a separate controversy over allegations that the police used excessive force against him. A number of officers are due to appear in court in connection with the case.
The woman, who sobbed throughout the hearing, denied all charges including not taking proper care of her teenage so, and leaving the vehicle unattended.
The defence requested bail arguing that it would not make sense to keep the woman in custody as she had to look after four children singlehandedly, while trying to make ends meet running a small shop in Valletta.
In its decision, the court, presided over by Magistrate Charmaine Galea, granted bail against a deposit of €500 and a personal guarantee of €2,000.
“Keep the car keys in your pocket, at all time of day, as otherwise your children will land you in further trouble,” the magistrate warned the mother.
Lawyers Giannella de Marco and Gianluca Caruana Curran were defence counsel while Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.