A woman who refused to wear a mask aboard a flight ended up in court after the flight was forced to return to the island because of her.

The Air Malta flight, from Malta to Catania, left Malta International Airport at around 6am Monday morning. However, soon after take-off, 24-year-old Italian national resident in Bulgaria Freya Angeolova Moutafova entered into an argument with the flight crew after she refused to wear a mask aboard the flight.

The crew reportedly insisted that she wear a face mask in light of ongoing COVID-19 health regulations; however, she refused, even though she was warned that she is putting all other passengers’ health at risk with her deicison.

Shortly after, the flight’s captain decided to turn the plane around and land back in Malta while also alerting police to the passenger’s refusal to comply. Within hours, she was under arrest.

Moutafova admitted that she had ignored crew member’s lawful orders in court.

She was given a six-month jail term suspended for two years by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, who also warned her over the risk her irresponsible behaviour was putting others at amidst a pandemic.