A 49-year-old woman today was sentenced to six months in prison after she was found guilty of loitering, threatening and insulting a police officer, breaching public order and not obeying orders.

In September 2014, 25-year-old Clayton Fenech and 49-year-old Josephine Grixti pleaded not guilty to threatening and robbing a man. The two were charged with holding a man against his will, stealing from him, causing him fear and being in possession of stolen property.

Mr Fenech alone was also accused of threatening the man with a penknife and being in possession of a pointed instrument.

Mrs Grixti alone was charged with loitering, assaulting a police officer, not obeying orders, breaching public order, passing indecent remarks and refusing to give details to the police.

The two were also charged with relapsing.

In court, Robert Thomas Owen explained that on 21 July 2014, he was walking home from work along Testaferrata Street, Ta Xbiex.  A woman standing by a doorway, who he identified as Mrs Grixti, asked him for a cigarette, and offered him sexual services.

"She offered but I refused. I offered her a cigarette and said that I wanted to leave," he told magistrate Doreen Clarke. He explained that when he was about to leave, Ms Grixti demanded money and when he refused, Mr Fenech grabbed him and threatened him with a penknife. He then went on to rob him.

On 10 September 2014, while on patrol in Marsa, police officers came across Mrs Grixti and arrested her for the incident in Gzira. The woman refused to obey orders and threatened the police officers, even attempting to assault them. 

In the police car, she threatened to strip off the police officer's uniform.

Police Inspector Carlos Cordina led the prosecution.