A single mother was given a probation order after she admitted attacking a civil servant.

The incident happened last Friday at Paola. Lorita Pace, 25 from Valletta told the court how she got infuriated when she heard that the social services department was going to stop issuing her relief cheque because they were informed that her partner was financially supporting her. Her partner could not have been doing so as he is serving a prison term.

Hearing this she went to clarify the issue at the Paola Social Services Office. When she arrived there at around 3.30pm, she found a closed door but knew that the office usually remains open till 4pm. Seeing that people were still inside the office, she waited outside until someone opened the door. Civil servant Albert Palmier opened the door but when she tried to go in, he allegedly pushed her and she fell, breaking a Perspex screen upon impact.

Feeling embarrassed and hurt, she followed him and he allegedly hit her on the head with a telephone receiver.

Ms Pace was accused of attacking and slightly injuring the civil servant, threatening police officers, damaging third party property and relapsing.

Magistrate Silvio Meli took time to patiently assess Ms Pace’s situation and referred to her criminal record. A reformed drug addict and a mother of two, Ms Pace has been clean since she found out she was pregnant with her first child four years ago. Her children are three-and-a-half years and nine months old.

She was placed under a probation order for a year and will have to pay for the damaged Perspex screen, worth €133.