A 17-year-old girl ended up in court on Friday over a heated argument she had with her mother about the time it was taking her to wash her clothes. 

The teenager, whose name cannot be published since she is still a minor, was charged with harassing her mother and causing her to fear violence. 

Magistrate Ian Farrugia heard how this was not the first time that the mother filed domestic violence reports against her daughter. The mother told the police that the frequent arguments she was having with her daughter always took place upon her arrival from an evening out. The teenager is unemployed. 

The latest argument happened because she complained that her mother was taking too long to wash her clothes and she was sometimes not finding clothes to wear to be able to go out with her friends. 

Magistrate Farrugia warned the girl that even though she was smiling and seemed to be taking the matter lightly, she was playing with fire and will soon end up in jail for a long time if she continued with this course of conduct. 

"One day, all these chances you're being given will come crumbling down and you'll end up being jailed for 10 years," he told the accused.

She was charged with breaching bail over a different case so the magistrate said he was considering refusing the request for bail. But since she was so young, time in jail might be counter-productive so he granted her bail against a €500 deposit and a €500 personal guarantee. He also issued a temporary protection order in favour of the mother. 

She will move in with her aunt for the time being.

The magistrate also imposed a curfew and ordered the police to monitor her and arrest her as soon as she is found outside beyond the time allowed by the court. 

Police Inspector Eman Hayman prosecuted while lawyers Matthew Xuereb and Alex Scerri Herrera were defence counsel.