A 75-year old man who had sex with a girl when she was just 14 has been handed a five-year jail term and a €2,000 fine for his “revolting and utterly condemnable behaviour.”

Guzeppi Magri, from Birzebbugia, had first met the girl when she was 13 when he rented a shop from her father, soon making sexual advances towards the schoolgirl, first verbally then moving on to touching her intimately. 

A year later, the man proceeded to have sex with the 14-year old and subsequently became highly possessive in her regard, even picking the girl from school to stop her from taking the school van back home. 

He suspected that she was striking up a relationship with the van driver.

His control over the girl was so intense that he even bought her a mobile phone so that she would send him photos which would enable him to monitor her every move. 

The man would beat her mercilessly, inflicting even facial injuries which once needed suturing and dental implants to remedy her damaged teeth. 

A couple of times, he even whipped her with a belt and blackmailed her with a compromising video he had taken of her. He had forced her into obedience threatening not to let her out of his home unless she did as he ordered. 

In 2003 the girl finally confided in a social worker, telling her of the seven-year-long ordeal.

Matters came to a head a year later in 2004 when her tormentor had dragged her to Dingli cliffs, punched her, slashed her on the hip with his pocketknife and threatened to throw her off the cliffs.

All this happened after he had spotted her talking to another man while out shopping. 

Following that last bout of violence, the girl had opened up to the family doctor who told her father about the abuse. 

A police report was filed straightaway and the alleged abuser was prosecuted. 

When delivering judgment on Monday, the court, presided over by magistrate Ian Farrugia, described the accused’s acts as “cowardly, revolting and utterly condemnable” pointing out that his control over his victim had caused her “enormous anxiety.”

“The accused knew what he was doing and wanted to do that which he effectively did. For this the accused must pay,” said the court, adding that the accused’s behaviour was not tolerable in a civilised society.

The accused, unassisted by a lawyer and wearing dark glasses, stood with head bent down as judgment was read out in the crowded courtroom. He later signed leave of appeal. Assistant Commissioner Stephen Gatt prosecuted.