A Romanian woman yesterday said in court her boyfriend forced her into prostitution and beat her up when she refused to carry on.

Testifying against Alexandru Onofrei by video conference, Mariaca Daresco said the 26-year-old Romanian was a dangerous man whom she would not dare cross, which was why she had not reported the matter.

She said she only spoke to the police on Sunday because she was drunk.

Mr Onofrei is pleading not guilty to trafficking Ms Daresco, forcing her and her friend, Pilaf Anisoara, into prostitution, holding them against their will, living off the earnings of prostitution and running a brothel in San Ġwann.

She would entertain clients and go to dinner with them before having sex, charging €300 for half an hour of intimacy

Ms Daresco said she would entertain clients and go to dinner with them before having sex, charging €300 for half an hour of intimacy. The fee would also cover dinner, which would last 90 minutes, and the accused kept the money.

She said it had all started when Mr Onofrei told her he needed money and forced her to take a revealing photograph of herself.

Without her knowledge, he uploaded the image to a website advertising escort services, which he later showed Ms Daresco, and said that from then on she could not take any decisions.

She was given a mobile phone and told to reply to clients who would get the number from the website.

She could not refuse the accused because she feared reprisals once he had served time if he were to be imprisoned for what he did to her.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia turned down a request for bail because of the danger that the accused might leave the island.