A female inmate elbowed a prison warder in the chin as she was being escorted to an isolation cell for refusing to be strip-searched, a court heard today.

Shannon Leigh Williams, 20, from Portsmouth, stands charged with violently assaulting, resisting, threatening and disobeying the female prison guard and her colleague.

She had been remanded in custody in a separate case, where she stands accused of stealing luggage from the airport. The woman was arrested after a woman saw her wearing her clothes.

Correctional officer Alison Vassallo told Magistrate Aaron Bugeja that on 1 August Ms Williams was escorted back to the prison after being allowed to collect her personal belongings from a guest house in Xemxija.

Procedure dictates that prisoners are strip searched and have their belongings searched before being allowed into the prison.

While prison staff were checking the accused’s luggage, the woman was seen placing something into a letter folder that had already been checked. Upon second inspection, officers found that the woman had placed a mobile sim card inside. At this point Major Mary Azzopardi ordered a second strip-search but Ms Williams refused to undergo the procedure. She allegedly started shouting at the correctional officers, telling them that “they were all bull****, full of s*** and bitches. The court heard how the woman became aggressive and started punching and kicking the officers. An order was given to take the woman to an isolation cell and two correctional officers grabbed her by the arms.

Ms Vassallo said the accused escaped her grip and elbowed her in the chin. “I was covered in blood and ended up at the health centre having five stitches to my chin," she said. She insisted the action was deliberate.

Ms Vassallo denied using excessive force but added that “no one had the woman’s attitude,” even claiming that Ms Williams had tried to get into fights with other inmates.

Inspector Spiridione Zammit, prosecuting, presented 13 reports made by correctional officers since Ms Williams was first taken to prison.

Back in June, appearing in the separate case about the stolen luggage, Ms Williams had told Magistrate Carol Peralta to “kiss her a**”.

Lawyer Noel Bianco appeared for Ms Williams.