Man accused of using Grindr to lure men home and assault them
Nathan Magri denies assaulting two men and holding them against their will
A 25-year-old unemployed man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to using a dating app to lure men to his home and then demanding money from them.
Nathan Magri, from Qormi, also denied grievously injuring two men and holding them against their will in separate incidents, attempted theft aggravated by violence, assault, threatening his victims, causing them to fear violence, breaching bail conditions and a probation issued in April 2023.
The incidents took place on January 1, 2026, against a man identified in court as 'AB,' and on April 4 against 'CD'.
In addition, Magri was charged with causing slight injuries to a constable, threatening him and resisting arrest on April 12.
Police inspector James Mallia explained that on January 1, at about 5am, AB reported that he had been held against his will and beaten up. He was taken to Mater Dei Hospital for treatment.
He later told police that he met Magri over Grindr (a dating app) on New Year’s. At about 4am, Magri told him “come to me if you want to have fun”. AB left the party in Valletta and went to Magri’s Qormi house.
After they had sex, Magri demanded money. AB said he had no money and Magri asked his iPhone. AB refused, saying he needed his phone for his work, and begged “Please let me go! Please let me go!” to which Magri allegedly replied “Don’t raise your voice!”
AB heard some sounds outside and cried for help, at which point Magri hit him and locked him inside.
When AB managed to get out of Magri’s room, he noticed two women – later identified as Magri’s mother and grandmother. Magri blocked AB over Grindr.
A request was sent by the police to Grindr, receiving a reply in the past weeks in which they sent Magri’s profile.
Mallia said that a police constable then informed him that there was an identical report in which the alleged victim refused to file a formal report. The police inspector said he spoke to CD, who told him that he did not wish to file a report because his family was very religious and he did not want to disclose his sexual orientation.
CD also recounted how he went to the apartment of a man he met over Grindr. Once there, he realised that the man before him did not resemble the man on the Grindr profile. CD raised the issue to which Magri allegedly replied “I will hook you with someone else”.
CD said he tried to escape, but Magri locked the door. He was scared for his life. Magri asked for €10 to which CD replied he had no money and Magri banged his head against the wall.
CD told the inspector he transferred some money into his bank account, showed the transfer to Magri and asked him to take him to the nearest ATM so that he could withdraw the money and give him some. Magri took him to an ATM near St Sebastian church in Qormi.
After taking the money, Magri hopped into a car with a third party and left.
CD told the police that the aggressor was named “Nathan”. Asked how he knew, CD said that the assailant had fairy lights around his balcony door and a frame with the name “Nathan”.
Suspect evades arrest twice
The police linked the two police reports and requested an arrest warrant. Since Magri signed the bail book at Qormi police station, the police were given instructions to arrest him there last Sunday. But Magri fled as he was about to be arrested.
When officers called at his house, nobody opened the door. As they threatened to break it down Magri jumped from the fourth floor to the third floor, and then to the ground floor and escaped once more.
The police returned to the house later on and this time broke open the door and Magri was arrested. He resisted and injured a constable. A taser was used to bring him under control, the inspector said.
No request for bail was made at this stage and the accused was remanded in custody. The court issued a ban on the name of the victims and any details which could identify them.
Magistrate Monica Vella presided.
AG lawyer Krista Spiteri Lucas prosecuted, alongside police inspectors Roderick Attard and James Mallia. Legal aid lawyer Martina Herrera assisted the accused.