A woman, who “totally disregarded” bail conditions over the past months was given a two-year jail term after admitting to her wrongdoing during her arraignment on Tuesday.

Ersilia Gauci, a 44-year-old Valletta resident, was escorted to court, facing charges stemming from her alleged breach of two separate bail decrees given in 2018 and 2019 in the course of drug-trafficking proceedings. 

The accused, who was also charged with relapsing, had been arrested in March 2018 alongside some nine other persons, when police raided a Qormi garage which had allegedly been converted into a drugs den by a suspect trafficker. 

Following those arrests, prosecuting Inspector Frank Anthony Tabone had told the court that some 30 grams of cocaine had been found inside the woman’s car, together with a ledger, sums of money and other items “linked to trafficking”.

Yet, while facing ongoing criminal proceedings and after being granted bail, the woman had “totally abandoned” her duty to sign the bail book since January 2020, the court observed on Tuesday, when delivering judgment upon the accused’s guilty plea. 

The court, presided over by magistrate Ian Farrugia, observed that breach of bail was a “serious” offence, noting that the accused had not only ignored her duty to sign the bail book since January but had also failed to show up at court hearings. 

After being given sufficient time to consult her lawyer and reconsider her plea, the accused confirmed her admission even after being told of the “serious repercussions” thereof.

While taking note of the fact that the accused had serious problems linked to drug abuse as well as psychological difficulties, the court condemned the woman to a two-year jail term. 

A request by the prosecution for confiscation of €22,000, the total value of bail bonds, was, however, turned down by the court observing that failure to meet that payment would translate into additional jail time and that could potentially breach the accused’s fundamental rights.

A request for bail pending appeal was, however, turned down and the court ordered the woman’s immediate rearrest. 

Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar was legal aid counsel.