A woman accused of luring a man into her Qawra apartment with the promise of sex as ruse to rob him was today acquitted of the charges.  

Carmela Cini, 46, from St Paul's Bay, stood accused of aggravated theft and of loitering with intent, as well as of having committed the alleged offences while under the operative period of two suspended sentences.

The man claimed he had been robbed after being lured back to the woman's apartment. Photo: Shutterstock

The story dated back to February 8, 2016 when a man turned up at a police station and claimed that he had been robbed of €300 some days earlier after having accompanied a woman he met on the street to her flat in Qawra.

Once he was seated on a sofa while the woman went to the bedroom, a man suddenly sprung out demanding his cash and necklace, the man told police.

The alleged victim said he was only allowed to leave after handing over his wallet containing €300 in cash. He said that while walking towards the police station after the ordeal, he had sensed that he was being stalked by a man and had so changed course, heading back home instead.

It was only 11 days later, on February 8, that the victim had finally filed a police report.

When testifying under oath, the victim had admitted that the accused was a friend of his who often invited him over for a drink. Earlier on, when filing his report, the man had told the police that he did not know the accused by name, though her contact number was saved on his mobile.

The court, presided over by magistrate Josette Demicoli, observed that the victim was not "so credible", first stating that he did not know the accused by name, then admitting that he was a regular guest at her apartment.

The alleged victim had also failed to report the matter immediately and had not told the police about the alleged stalking, the court observed. Moreover, after reporting that he could not recall the location of the accused's flat, the victim had actually accompanied the police to the block where the accused lived.

There was no evidence to prove that the accused had been loitering for prostitution purposes, the court noted.

For these reasons the court declared the accused not guilty and acquitted her of the charges.

Inspector Joseph Mercieca prosecuted. Lawyer Edward Gatt was defence counsel.