An alleged rapist’s efforts to obtain bail may have gone to waste when he allegedly chose to dance the night away, well beyond court-imposed curfew hours.

The 39-year old Portuguese national, whose name cannot be published under a court ban issued by another magistrate presiding over the rape proceedings, had been targeted by criminal prosecution in November after a report filed by his former partner alleging that she had been the victim of his harassment.

The woman had also claimed that two years ago she had been raped by the accused.

Following his arraignment four months ago, the man had been remanded in custody before a fresh request for bail was acceded to by the Magistrates’ Court.

However, that grant was later revoked by the Criminal Court upon an application by the Attorney General.

Bail was granted a second time by the Magistrates’ Court, presiding over the compilation of evidence, later in the proceedings and after civilian witnesses had deposed.

However, the accused’s bail conditions had been rendered stricter by the Criminal Court last month by fixing the curfew at 9pm instead of the former 11pm and also upping the bail deposit to €10,000 instead of the original €6,000.

That deposit, together with a personal guarantee of €14,000, risked being forfeited in favour of the public coffers should the accused be declared guilty of breaching bail, following his alleged infringement of court conditions.

The man was arraigned under arrest on Thursday after a series of circumstances culminated in incriminating footage of the man allegedly dancing at a Paceville club close to midnight on March 10 and “having a good time”.

During the arraignment, prosecuting Inspector Bernardette Valletta explained how the man had ignored court orders even by contacting the victim’s former boyfriend who lives abroad, putting “personal and intimate questions” concerning the woman, which the other man had flatly refused to answer, later calling the woman and “giving her a piece of his mind”.

This contact with the woman’s other ex amounted to harassment, argued the inspector, her claim rebutted by defence lawyer Marion Camilleri who pointed out that the third party did not live in Malta and was not a party to the proceedings against the accused.

The man was remanded in custody while the court, presided over by magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, adjourned the case for continuation next week.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were also defence counsel.