'Revolting' torture ordeal

A man was charged with sadistically beating and threatening to burn a victim he had doused with petrol in an 11-hour torture spree.

Few details of the horrifying ordeal emerged during a court hearing yesterday but Magistrate Lawrence Quintano said the torture described to him by the prosecuting officer was "revolting".

Police sources said the accused, 33-year-old Vincent Attard of Valletta, allegedly beat his victim on the head with a wooden bar, tied him to a chair and doused him with petrol before he started waiving a lighter close to his face, threatening that he would burn him to death.

Eventually, the victim, Carmel Muscat, was untied and set free, which is when he went to report the ordeal to the police.

More disturbing details are expected to emerge later in the proceedings, the sources said.

The torture allegedly took place in an apartment belonging to the accused in Republic Street, Valletta.

The beating is believed to have been connected to a dispute over drugs.

Mr Attard was denied bail.

Lawyers Josè Herrera and Veronique Dalli appeared for the accused.