Man charged with sex assault

A man from Valletta has been remanded in custody after he was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Valleta.

Electrician Christopher Ellul, 50, appeared before magistrate Joe Mifsud this afternoon. The man was charged with committing a non-consensual sexual act, offending public morals, harassment and holding the woman against her will on 14 November this year. He was also accused of breaching two probation orders.

His lawyer, Marion Camilleri, entered a not guilty plea on the man’s behalf and requested bail.

It is understood that Ellul had approached the victim on West Street in Valletta, asking to speak to her, but the woman had said she was in a hurry. Instead of backing off, the man had then grabbed her, pushing her against a wall and tried to kiss and grope her. The woman had managed to escape before filing a report at the Valletta police station.

Prosecuting police inspector Daryl Borg objected to bail, arguing that the man had previously been found guilty of similar charges and could approach prosecution witnesses.

Camilleri explained that her client was seeing a psychologist to treat an undisclosed condition. “Just because he made a mistake once, doesn’t mean that he will make it again,” submitted the lawyer, only to be confronted with the man’s criminal record, which is several pages long, by the court.

Ellul had been charged with similar offences four times previously and had been jailed.

After taking this and other factors into account, the court denied bail.