Charged with assaulting couple

A man stands charged with sexually assaulting a woman and then attacking her boyfriend as he was being chased away.

The alleged incident occurred at about 11 p.m. on Wednesday when the 24-year-old woman was ringing the doorbell of her boyfriend's house in Floriana.

Police sources said she noticed the accused, Aldo Agius, 40, of Żurrieq, looking at her and she continued to ring the bell in order to alert her boyfriend to the situation.

The accused allegedly walked over to her, tried to shake her hand but instead grabbed her breast. He then allegedly held his hand over her mouth and pushed her to the ground, slightly injuring her back in the process.

Prompted by the frantic ringing of his doorbell, her boyfriend rushed downstairs and chased away the man harassing her. After running a short distance, the man turned back and allegedly assaulted the boyfriend.

Mr Agius at first wanted to plead guilty to the charges of violent indecent assault, holding the woman against her will, slightly injuring her and assaulting her boyfriend.

But when his legal aid lawyer, Mark Busuttil, turned up he decided to change his plea and deny the charges.

Police Inspector Pierre Micallef-Grimaud told the court that during interrogation Mr Agius wanted to speak to the woman and apologise to her for his actions.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano remanded him in custody, given the serious nature of the charges.

After the proceedings, Mr Agius approached the press bench and asked court correspondents not to report his case. Dr Busuttil intervened and asked the magistrate, who was about to leave, to ban publication.

However, the magistrate denied the request.