A woman who is barely 18 was warned by a magistrate again today to reveal what had happened to two pistols she allegedly stole, or she would have to face the consequences.
The woman hit the headlines in the past when complaints were made to the court that there was nowhere to keep her except the prison.
When she was 16, she was kept behind bars after she was charged, together with a youth of the same age, with stealing an elderly man’s €400 pension. She had disobeyed a court order to stay at a shelter.
She now stands accused of stealing two pistols, a Berretta and Walther, from a man who engaged her to clean his house.
She is pleading not guilty but prosecutors said she had admitted to the police that she stole the weapons. Indicators of where they could be proved fruitless.
During her arraignment two weeks ago, Magistrate Miriam Hayman pointed out that, while she was innocent until proven guilty, it was of paramount importance that if she was aware where the guns where she should inform the police because such weapons could cause someone serious harm to someone.
Today, Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona told the woman that it was in her interest to tell the police where the guns were.
Defence lawyer Peter Fenech said it was much more complicated than that but he was working on it.
Magistrate Micallef Trigona said the accused would not be treated lightly unless she cooperated.
The Magistrate also asked her where she could live once she was granted bail. She said she could live with her mother in Birzebbuga. The Magistrate said the mother would have to testify first and the case was put off to December 1. Bail was denied.