Joseph Magro, 55 of Qrendi, has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of raping a 23-year-old Italian woman on May 19, 2011.

The crime took place after he befriended the woman, a tourist, while she was visiting Hagar Qim temples.

She told the court that while touring the site, the man struck up a conversation with her and said there were other nearby attractions she should visit. He also offered to take her there and she accepted. They went to the Blue Grotto and Dingli Cliffs.

He had introduced himself as somebody involved in the hotel who took people on tours.

After the tours they went to a bar and drank some wine. He offered to buy some typical Maltese food to be eaten at his house. She did not detect anything wrong in the man's motives and therefore accepted to go to his home.

There, they continued to drink wine and to eat.

He started showing her pictures of pictures of young women. The last thing she remembered was that she continued to drink the wine he offered her. That was 3 p.m.

Later she came to in his bed and found that she was naked from the waist down. It was 6 p.m.

She got scared and asked the man to take her to her hotel. She also said she could hardly stay awake and could hardly walk.

While on the way to the hotel the man told her not to say anything to anyone.

At the hotel she slept till the morning, and on waking up felt pain in her private parts. She spoke to another Italian at the hotel who advised her to inform the police, and that was what she did.

The court noted that the accused had confirmed what the victim said, other than her account of what took place at his home.

He claimed that she got extremely tired and he took her to bed. He slept in the same bed and they had consensual sex at her request. She also told him not to use a condom.

He confirmed that the woman looked unwell. He said they had downed three bottles of wine. 

Court expert Dr Mario Scerri said there were some slight bruises on on of the victim's arms and a leg. He suspected she had taken liquid ecstasy as a sexual stimulant which in high doses could lead to drowsiness and other consequences.

In such cases, a person lost her inhibitions and also lost her short-term memory.

A chemist appointed by the court did not find traces of this substances in the bottles and cups seized from the home of the accused.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke said she believed the version given by the woman that she was raped while she was unconscious.

Magro was therefore jailed for five years.