A woman who allegedly assaulted police officers when they responded to a call by her ex-boyfriend was remanded in custody after facing criminal charges on Tuesday. 

Marta Iavorscaia, a 33-year-old Moldovan national, went to the home of her former partner late on Sunday, prompting him to call the police.

But when the police intervened at the Żebbuġ residence, the situation escalated and the woman ended up under arrest. 

She was escorted to court and charged with having allegedly assaulted or violently resisted the officers, insulting or threatening them, slightly injuring a female constable as well as wilfully disturbing the public peace. 

She was also charged with disobeying lawful orders and committing a crime during a three-year probation order handed down in 2020. 

The woman pleaded not guilty and requested bail.

Her lawyer, Robert Galea, said that the incident had occurred at night and that perhaps explained why the parties had not acted so rationally. 

After reflecting upon the incident, the accused’s ex had contacted the lawyer to help her. So although the couple were no longer together, there was still help coming from her former partner, Galea said. 

The defence lawyer sought bail for his client, arguing that she has a two-year-old daughter and the only prosecution witnesses were police officers, meaning there was no fear of tampering with evidence.  

She also had a fixed address where she had been staying for the past couple of weeks, he said, arguing this was why she failed to recall her address when asked for it by the police. 

After hearing submissions and after temporarily suspending the hearing, Magistrate Charmaine Galea turned down the request for bail in light of the circumstances of the case, the serious nature of the offences and the woman’s previous brushes with the law. 

The alleged offences were committed during a term of probation and the court was also not convinced that the accused had a fixed address, the court said. 

Inspector Roderick Agius prosecuted.