A 38-year-old man from Valletta has pleaded not guilty to having indecently assaulted two British girls in 2007.

Stephen Spiteri was accused of having assaulted the girls on a paddle boat in Ghadira Bay.

Marie-Nicola Thompson, 20, one of the alleged victims, said the accused had sat next to her and her sister Kerrie and put his hand up her skirt. He then put another hand down her top.

When they reached land again, they told their mother that something happened but never gave any details. She told them not to say anything so that we wouldn’t worry their uncle, who had just had undergone heart surgery.

Ms Thompson explained that it took her three years to file an official report because she “was sick of being frightened of coming back”.

Her sister, Kerrie Tingle, also testified and said that Mr Spiteri had touched her on the boat then leaned over and touched her sister. “We told him to stop it.”