Update 3 | Josette Bickle, ‘Queen of Corradino’ dead at 41

A magisterial inquiry has ordered that an autopsy be carried out on the corpse of Josette Bickle, 41 of Valletta, who died early this morning at Mater Dei Hospital, after collapsing in her prison cell.

Sources said that Bickle, dubbed the "queen of Corradino" for her influential hold on female prisoners at the Corradino Correctional Facility, probably died of a heart attack, however investigations are focused on whether she died of a heroin overdose.

Bickle was reportedly rushed to hospital shortly after 6am when she fell ill inside her cell, while inmates were preparing to be handed breakfast. She complained of palpitations and being short of breath.  Bickle was reportedly administered CPR by prison staff until paramedics arrived with an ambulance and rushed her to Mater Dei Hospital, where she died soon after she was admitted into the emergency department.

This morning, drug squad officials searched the cell which Bickle shared with another inmate. 

MaltaToday is reliably informed that the search yielded no evidence of any drug abuse, and sources said that investigations are still "half way" and results from toxicology tests will have to prove the cause of death.

Bickle was sharing her cell with another woman, Charmaine Vella, 41 of Żebbuġ who is serving a two year jail term for a string of handbag thefts in Sliema to support her drug habit.

Vella was interrogated at length by investigators, in a bid to establish facts related to Bickle's death, however medical sources said that unless toxicology tests prove otherwise, "it looks like Bickle may have died a natural death, possibly caused by many things, such as lack of excercise, a bad diet, or heavy smoking."

Bickle had been sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined €23,000 last December, after she was found guilty by a jury of trafficking drugs in prison.

She was nailed by a number of witnesses, who had served jail time on her wing, who accused her of being the 'Queen of Corradino'.

Her trial led to controversy over alleged privileges she enjoyed in prison, with one witness stating that she had four television sets inside her cell.

Evidence

During her trial by jury in December 2011, former prison inmate Doreen Bugeja had told jurors that Bickle had made her life hell while she was in prison.

Jurors heard how Bickle treated fellow inmates like slaves and got what she wanted from the prison authorities.

Police inspectors Jesmond Borg and Victor Aquilina told the court that an inquiry had been carried out at the Corradino Correctional Facility and they were assigned to investigate drug trafficking allegations.

Saying that the police had spoken to four inmates - Maria Concetta Borg, Pauline Pisani, Elaine Muscat and Doreen Bugeja - police inspector Jesmond Borg said they didn't want to say anything at first because they were scared of Bickle. She used to sell a €23-packet of heroin for €100.

The inspector went on to say that when she was about to leave the CCF, Bickle had emptied four lockers and a prison cell (the second one in addition to the one she slept in) that she used as storage space for the items she received from fellow inmates in exchange for the drugs she supplied. Among other things, she had four television sets, two DVD sets, a surround system and a number of mobile phones.

Borg said the defendant was "the queen, because she had heroin".

They said Bickle would provide the drugs and would ask them to help her shower, shave her private parts, wash the floor, wash and iron clothes and prepare meals. Instead of giving her cash for the drugs, they used to give her clothes, tobacco, phone cards and several other items.

The 'queen'

In handing judgment on December 14, 2011, Judge Michael Mallia hit out at what he described as "the ease" with which the 'queen of Corradino' managed to smuggle drugs into jail, and pointed towards "collusion" with the prison authorities.

 "The jurors' verdict is not only a verdict against Josette Bickle but against the system which allowed her to operate with so much impunity for so long," Mr. Justice Mallia said, adding that although he was jailing Bickle for 12 years and imposing a €23,000 fine, "she should not bear the full brunt of the blame."

He specifically said that he was not handing her a heavier sentence, with life being the maximum term, because she was "clearly... not alone".

Appeal

Last January, Bickle, had filed an appeal on her 12 year jail term, saying the jurors had made a "mistaken evaluation of the evidence" and that the prosecution's case was based on the evidence of four witnesses who had been "blatanly and manifestly lying".

During her trial, jurors heard how she trafficked drugs and treated other prisoners as her 'slaves'.

In her appeal Bickle said that owing to sensationalism which was "the major feature" of the prosecution's case, jurors had been misled and had given weight to what was probably irrelevant to the case.

She argued that she was a "victim" of the witnesses plan and that "everything had been orchestrated," against her.

While raising a series of technical issues,  she stressed that the punishment handed down by the court was excessive.