Young mother jailed for drug trafficking

A young mother has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for heroin trafficking after a court noted previous court sentences which established that while considering the personal circumstances of the accused, the courts had to be mindful that sentencing served as a deterrent and a message to society. The case against Doreen Bugeja, 31 of Swieqi, started on March 10, 2005, when an off-duty policeman noticed the accused making contact with a certain Daniela Cassar, a woman known to the police, in Qormi. He called back-up and the police then tailed the accused to Testaferrata Street, Gzira, where she was searched. She struggled with the police during the search, which revealed a bag of brown substance - later confirmed to be drug - in her possession. She subsequently told the police that she had a drug problem for several years. The court heard a number of witnesses who confirmed to have bought drugs from the accused over a period of two years. The court noted the 23-page criminal record of the accused. Between 1993 and 2012 she had 13 convictions related to drugs. In one case she was jailed for four years. In another case she was jailed for 10 months.  She was also imprisoned on...