A man, charged with sexually molesting a female driver who appeared to have some trouble with her car, was remanded in custody on Thursday.

Jeffry Varghese, a 30-year old Indian national working at a local pizza chain store, was arrested on Tuesday evening shortly after the police received a report about an alleged car theft at St Paul’s Bay.

Within minutes, officers went on site, finding a woman who explained how merely minutes earlier, a male stranger had come to her assistance after noting that she had a problem with her vehicle.

Yet, after getting inside the car, the man had made sexual advances in her regard and then fled from the scene. 

Working on that information, police soon tracked down the suspect.

Upon his arraignment on Thursday, the man pleaded not guilty to a non-consensual sexual act against the alleged victim, unlawfully holding her against her will, aggravated theft of a Suzuki Alto vehicle registered in the name of a third party as well as damages caused to the vehicle through negligence.

Prosecuting Inspector Saviour Baldacchino objected to a request for bail in view of the fact that the accused’s ties in Malta, although existent, “were not very strong”. Besides, civilian witnesses, including the victim, were still to testify. 

He also pointed out that the alleged victim and the accused lived quite close to each other at St Paul’s Bay. 

Defence lawyer Robert Piscopo countered that the parties were “strangers” and all evidence had already been preserved.

As for the accused’s ties on the island, the man had relocated to Malta “for a better life” and also had a wife here.

Both had a job and the man had no intention of absconding, argued the lawyer. 

After hearing submissions by both parties the court, presided over by magistrate Gabriella Vella, turned down the request in view of the severity of the charges and the fact that the alleged victim was still to testify.