A 50-year-old man who groped the 13-year-old daughter of his partner was given a suspended jail term.

James Carabott, from Rabat, admitted to defiling the girl and participating in sexual acts with her in 2007 but in a police statement he explained that the girl had appeared suddenly from behind a curtain and placed his hand on her breast.

She even tried to touch and kiss him but he pushed her way, Mr Carabott insisted.

The girl’s mother testified that she had been in a relationship with the accused for the past 10 years and they had a son together. Mr Carabott helped her raise her children from another marriage including the victim, who was a very difficult child.

He had helped her kick a drug habit but because of a number of police searches in their house because of the drug problem, it was decided to send the girl to an institute, her mother said.

She said her daughter had lied about her and caused problems in the family. When disciplined, the girl rebelled against her.

The mother recalled that her daughter had made the claim about what had happened with her partner while she was residing in the Home and she had confronted Mr Carabott about it.

Mr Carabott told her that the girl had driven him crazy but had kept his mouth shut not to undermine the relationship between the mother and daughter.

She said her partner was a shy and quiet person with whom she never had any problems.

The women said her daughter had confirmed, in the presence of a social worker, that she had been the one who harassed the accused.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera noted in her judgement that the probation officer, who had visited the accused seven times, suggested a suspended jail term.

She handed down a two-year jail term suspended for three years and warned him that he could not live in the same house as the victim and should not communicate with her.