Paul Vassallo, 46 of Kalkara was today jailed for four years after being convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl, defiling her and offending public morals.

The case happened on the afternoon of September 24, 2007 in a field at Attard.

Mr Vassallo was a nurse at nearby Mt Carmel Hospital and the girl was an employee.

The court heard how the victim and her boyfriend had on several occasions gone to Mr Vassallo's field to pick grapes.

One day, Mr Vassallo had asked the girl to wash a large fertiliser and pesticide mixing tank, and had raped her while she was in the tank.

In his evidence, Mr Vassallo said the girl had been trying to seduce him by telling him about her previous sexual experiences.

He had thought he would overcome the temptation but he also feared that if he refused her advances, she would call him gay in front of his friends. He said they did not have sex but only casual contact and groping.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani found that the version of the accused was not credible and said the court believed the victim when she described how he had forced himself onto her and had sex with her even if it was just for a few seconds.