A woman who was originally jailed for a week on January 12 has been found not guilty by the Criminal Court of Appeal.

The woman had been jailed after being convicted by the Magistrates Court of not allowing her husband to see their four-and-a-half year old son.

Appealing the decision, the woman said the punishment was excessive since she was a first time offender and she had denied the father access to her son because she had been scared he would take off with him to Germany.

Testifying, she said she had not been informed about a decree issued in September last year by Judge Noel Cushcieri granting the father access to his son.

Pointing out that no other proof had been brought to prove that the woman knew about the decree, Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono revoked the sentence and found the woman not guilty.