Jail term cut by a year

A 25-year-old woman who had been jailed for four years for the involuntary homicide of a man who died of a drug overdose, had her jail term reduced by a year after the Court of Appeal cleared her of drug trafficking.

The Magistrates' Court had jailed Claire Farrugia for four years and fined her Lm2,500 for the manslaughter of 19-year-old Leonard Magro, the possession of heroin and dealing in the drug on and before December 29, 2002 and the possession of cannabis resin on and before December 2, 2002.

Farrugia, of Marsascala, appealed claiming she was not guilty of drug trafficking. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, upheld Farrugia's appeal.

He noted that although Farrugia had actually administered the drug to Magro the two had bought it together and Magro himself had provided the syringes.

Farrugia and Magro co-owned the drugs which meant that Farrugia had not given, sold or shared drugs that belonged to her with him. For this reason she could not be found guilty of drug trafficking.

Consequently the judge reduced Farrugia's jail term to three years and her fine to Lm1,000.