A Libyan man charged with attempted rape and the Swedish woman he was with were being intimate until she had a sudden change of heart, the man’s lawyer told a court yesterday.

Lawyer Veronique Dalli said her client, Ahmed Rasem Franko, 28, was being painted as a “monster... who could not control his sexual whims” but this was not the case.

Mr Franko has been charged with attempting to rape the woman, holding her against her will, indecently assaulting her, slightly injuring her and offending public morals.

The events happened at St George’s Bay at 5am on Sunday, the defendant’s last day in Malta.

Police Inspector Elton Taliana, prosecuting, said the man was caught in the act by policemen on patrol.

“Had the police not acted immediately, we would be here with a rape charge,” he told Magistrate Neville Camilleri.

She kissed him and made sexual advances towards him

But Dr Dalli said the true story was different from the prosecution’s.

She said that the alleged victim had been drinking at a bar in Paceville with the defendant for an entire evening and had even provoked him sexually.

“She was wearing a promiscuous top and even asked him for his opinion on it. She kissed him and made sexual advances towards him, telling him she wanted to be intimate with him,” Dr Dalli said.

When the two went to St George’s Bay and continued kissing, the woman had a change of heart when things began to heat up and she started screaming for help.

Inspector Taliana retorted that this was the first time he had heard this version and at no point during the man’s interrogation did he say that he had been intimate with the woman that evening.

Mr Franko was remanded in custody after Magistrate Camilleri denied his request for bail.

The court upheld a request by the defence for the prosecution topreserve closed circuit television footage of Hugo’s Bar, where the couple had spent their evening together.