A 25-year-old prostitute from Birkirkara has been sentenced to 18 months in jail after she admitted kicking an officer who wanted to arrest her for loitering.

The woman was charged with loitering with the intent of prostitution, threatening and offending an officer, disrupting public order, using offensive language, disobeying a police officer’s orders, committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence and breaching the conditions of a previous release.

Defence lawyer Yanika Bugeja asked the presiding magistrate to take into consideration the woman’s current circumstances.

While not excusing her behaviour, it was not as bad as it had been made out to be, since the violence was limited to a kick, Dr Bugeja argued.

Had she not resisted arrest and caused trouble, it would have been possible for her to receive a more lenient sentence

But prosecuting officer John Spiteri pointed out that the woman had manifestly resisted her arrest.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia told the accused that had she not resisted arrest and caused unnecessary trouble, it would have been possible for her to receive a more lenient sentence.

She was too young to be going to prison, he said ruefully, adding that she should seek help.

The woman was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, while an additional six months from a previous suspended sentence came into effect.

She was also fined €4,000.