Lorraine Vella, a 52-year-old resident of Bormla, was arraigned before Magistrate Noel Bartolo on Monday, facing charges of cocaine and heroin possession, reckless driving, and recidivism. According to Inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa, Vella led police on a high-speed car chase through Marsa, Raħal Gdid, and Tarxien in the early hours of Monday morning.
The incident began when a police patrol in Marsa spotted Vella’s Skoda speeding and attempted to pull her over. However, she accelerated and threw several items out of her window. Police managed to stop the car in Marsa, but Vella refused to exit and drove off instead. After a brief pursuit, officers finally stopped the Skoda in Ħal Tarxien.
A search of the vehicle yielded weighing scales, a packet of suspected heroin, and €1,400 in cash. Further investigation in the area where Vella discarded items revealed a package of suspected cocaine and a mobile phone. Vella pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Her lawyers, Ishmael Psaila and Maria Sarah Vella Gafa, did not request bail but instead asked the court to order treatment for Vella’s drug addiction while in custody. They specifically requested that she be held at Mount Carmel Hospital’s Forensic Unit. The court upheld this request, remanding Vella in custody and directing that she receive necessary psychological and addiction assistance.
