A woman who was accused of breaching bail conditions when she was found in a car outside her home three hours after a court-imposed curfew time was cleared on Monday after telling a court that she had lost her house key and was waiting for a neighbour to let her in.

Amanda Borg Manduca, 33, was arrested on Saturday night following a report to Hamrun police station about someone shouting on Braille Street at around 11:15pm.

A police officer recognized the woman, who regularly signed the bail book at the Hamrun police station. Borg Manduca had failed to sign the bail book on January 2.

When the officer asked her what she was doing outside, the accused told her that she had forgotten her key.

When asked why she had been shouting she said that she was calling out to her neighbour to let her in.

Bail book was missing

Borg Manduca testified that on January 2 she had gone to the police station to sign, but the bail book was nowhere to be found and so she was asked to note her presence on a sheet of paper.

“If you check the footage you’ll see that I was there,” she said, adding that it had not been the first time that she was told to sign on a piece of paper.

As for Saturday’s incident, she had waited inside her friend’s car until her neighbour got back from work and let her in. 

“I shouted out to the neighbour to let me in. She usually works until 11:30pm or so. I did nothing wrong,” finished off the accused. 

Defence lawyer Jose’ Herrera told the court that although the accused was found “physically” outside her home, she lacked a criminal intent.

Indeed, she could not go inside and therefore could not be held liable for something that was impossible for her to do, namely to be indoors at that hour.

She had not strayed far from home.

As for the January 2 incident, the accused had testified on oath and if she lied, then police could charge her with perjury. 

Magistrate Astrid May Grima acquitted the accused over lack of evidence.

Lawyer Martina Herrera was also defence counsel.