A British woman said “Kiss my a**” as she was being escorted out of a courtroom after being fined €200 for contempt of court and remanded in custody because of her “arrogance”.

Shannon-Leigh Williams, of Portsmouth, in the UK, appeared before Magistrate Carol Peralta charged with stealing a black suitcase from the baggage claim area at the airport on Monday.

She was apprehended on Tuesday after the owners of the suitcase spotted her in Xemxija allegedly wearing items and carrying a handbag that had been in the stolen luggage.

At first, the woman refused to enter a plea and was fined €200 for contempt of court. She then pleaded not guilty to stealing the suitcase, which belonged to a Maltese couple who arrived on a Ryanair flight from Girona, Spain.

She gained access to the baggage claim area after flashing her passport to the soldier on duty and saying she had lost her luggage

Ms Williams was not on the same flight but gained access to the baggage claim area after flashing her passport to the soldier on duty and saying she had lost her luggage when she arrived on a Ryanair flight in May.

The Maltese couple reported that one of their cases had not arrived, though records showed they had both been picked up. When the CCTV footage was checked, Ms Williams was spotted taking the luggage and leaving the airport with it.

Quite by chance, the couple then saw her in Xemxija sporting a handbag and sneakers identical to the ones that had been in the stolen luggage.

In court, Ms Williams said that she had gone to the airport to pick up the luggage that had not arrived when she came to Malta on a Ryanair flight on May 17.

She claimed the baggage she took was similar to hers and when she opened it there was even a handbag similar to hers. She did not go through all items in the suitcase, she said.

The magistrate showed her eight photos of dresses that were inside the stolen luggage and asked whether she had similar clothing.

“Are you trying to tell me that you happen to have eight identical dresses to these,” he asked her. When she nodded, the magistrate told her he did not believe her.

Ms Williams kept defending herself, arguing that she had a clean record and this was just a mistake.

The magistrate told her she was being “arrogant” and fined her €200 for contempt of court after she said “I’m not going to answer you” when asked whether she pleaded guilty or not.

She finally said: “Not guilty... I’m telling you it was a mistake.”

Given her attitude in court, the magistrate refused her request for bail, telling the woman she was going to prison.

At that point, Ms Williams burst into tears and as she was being escorted out of the courtroom she said “Kiss my a**.”

Police Inspector Silvio Magro prosecuted.

Lawyer Christopher Chircop appeared for the woman.

Lawyer Yanika Camilleri appeared parte civile for the Maltese couple.