A vegetable hawker who was allegedly blackmailed by three women who extorted €15,300 from him, this morning denied that he had pestered the women and sought sex with one of them.

The man, who is from Zabbar, was being cross examined in the case instituted against the three - a mother, her 17-year-old daughter and her 37-year-old sister. They are accused of having blackmailed the hawker by claiming that they would show his wife a picture of him, barely clothed, in one of their bedrooms.

The mother is claiming that it was the hawker himself who made the indecent proposal to be paid with sex for €600 that she owed him.

During cross examination this morning, the hawker denied having a go at the mother, pestering her and her daughter and leaving agricultural goods on their doorstep free of charge in an attempt to sleep with the mother.

He also denied telling the woman’s daughter not to interfere, so that he might have a chance to have sex with her mother.

He denied wanting to rent a place for the girl’s mother.

The man insisted with the court that the mother owed him €6,500 and not €600 as claimed.

Replying to questions by the defence, he denied still being in possession, in his garage, of the mobile phone which was used to take picture in question.

The cross examination will continue in May, when the three accused are also expected to testify.