While testifying in a case on drug trafficking, Eileen Gatt told the court that her dealer, Spiridione Tanti Costa, had reduced the price of the heroin he gave her from Lm25 to Lm22 because it was Christmas.

The 40-year-old man from Fgura, was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison and was ordered to pay a Lm2,000 fine after he was found guilty by Magistrate Myriam Hayman of trafficking heroin.

The case goes back to 1996 when Tanti Costa and Gatt were arrested following a police raid in Valletta. PC Jason Caruana told the court that during the raid he and his colleagues had found five sachets containing a substance they then suspected and later confirmed to be heroin. Sergeant Ruth Magro said the police had seized a number of syringes and other objects connected with drug abuse from the house of the accused.

Gatt said she had bought the five packets of heroin from Tanti Costa just before she was arrested and had thrown these packets on the ground when she saw the police approach. She also said that this was not the first time she had bought drugs from Tanti Costa and that she used to find him in Valletta, generally at City Gate.

When it came to the money she explained that she had bought the drugs for Lm22. The packets cost Lm5 each. However, Gatt said that Tanti Costa had given her a discount since it was Christmas time.

Tanti Costa opted not to take the stand during the compilation of evidence.

However, in a statement he had given the police, he had said that he knew nothing about the sachets and had not dealt with Gatt in any way.

He had said that he did not have the time to speak to her and was having a cup of tea while running an errand for his mother.

He also said the money he was carrying was social benefits cash since he had just received the bonus.

Court expert and pharmacist Mario Mifsud confirmed that the substance contained in the five sachets was in fact heroin.

While delivering the sentence, Magistrate Hayman said the point which struck her most in the testimony given was Gatt’s description of Tanti Costa’s wallet.

Gatt had described the colour of the wallet and said it had a zip fastener.

In his testimony Tanti Costa, spontaneously and unsolicited, confirmed Gatt’s description of the wallet.

Even though Tanti Costa had relapsed, the magistrate sentenced Tanti Costa to three years in prison and a Lm2,000 fine after taking into consideration Caritas’ testimony that “he had made progress and his life had taken a positive turn”.

Superintendent Neil Harrison prosecuted.