A 21-year-old man yesterday denied that he indecently assaulted a teenage girl he had just met in Paceville after he offered to give her a lift home. David Shaun Galea, from Żebbuġ, denied violently indecently assaulting Kristina Xuereb, 19, from Naxxar, slightly injuring her and relapsing.

Police Inspector Roderick Agius, prosecuting, said that the two had met in Paceville on Saturday night and exchanged telephone numbers, after which he offered her a lift home, which she accepted.

She wanted to go to Gżira but the friend the accused was with and who was the designated driver refused to take her there. The accused told him to drop them off at his house in Żebbuġ – where the incident allegedly happened – and he would take her home in his own car, the officer said.

Defence lawyer Josè Herrera said that although his client admitted trying to kiss the girl, he was vehemently denying that anything else happened.

He said the girl had sent the accused text messages apologising for making the police report, adding that she was drunk and did not know what she was doing, the lawyer added.

The prosecuting officer noted that Dr Herrera failed to say that the accused had also sent an SMS to the girl apologising for what he had done to her.

The accused tried to kiss her and even exposed himself, he added.

The lawyer said this was not the first time that this girl had made such allegations.

Dr Herrera also said that keeping his client in prison pending hearing would be a big injustice.

He said that his client had received a death threat from the girl’s boyfriend and Mr Galea had in fact went to the police even before the girl filed a report about the incident.

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia granted the accused bail against a deposit of €3,000.