Man filed false report to hide visit to prostitute

A married man, who was robbed when he was with a prostitute, was yesterday given a suspended jail term after he admitted to filing a false police report claiming he had been stopped by an armed man and robbed as he was driving past Marsa.

In another two separate arraignments, the woman he was with and another man were also given a suspended jail term for robbing the man of his mobile phone and Lm20.

In the first arraignment, the 28-year-old man, whose name is not being published by court order, admitted to filing the false report at the Hamrun police station and offending public morals on Wednesday.

Police Inspector Chris Pullicino, prosecuting, called on Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima to order a ban on publication of the man's name to protect him from his two assailants and also to protect his family.

On evaluating the circumstances, the magistrate upheld the inspector's request and clarified that she was only doing so for the man's security and because she believed that his family need not suffer the consequences of his actions.

"The court does not want to be an accomplice with you to hide your actions from your wife... For a mere five minutes of pleasure you put your family on the line," Magistrate Padovani Grima told the man.

In two separate arraignments that followed Jacqueline Rapinett, 29, and Gaetano Xerri, 38, both of Cospicua admitted to their involvement in robbing the man.

Ms Rapinett was given a 14-month jail term suspended for two years for loitering for prostitution purposes and offending public morals. Mr Xerri was given a two-year jail term suspended for two years when he admitted to living off the earnings of prostitution.

The magistrate put Ms Rapinett under the care of a probation officer who will help her steer away from prostitution.

She bound Ms Rapinett and Mr Xerri not to approach the man against a Lm100 fine in default.