An i-gaming employee was remanded in custody after his flatmate’s ex claimed she was attacked by three men who were under the influence of drugs and alcohol inside a Gżira apartment last weekend.

A foreign national called the Sliema police station on Sunday to report that on Saturday afternoon, between 1pm and 6pm, she was punched and kicked by her ex-partner and his friends when she went to their flat.

She and her ex were apparently still on speaking terms but, while at the flat, an argument broke out between the former couple and soon escalated. 

The woman told the police how she was first punched and kicked by her ex who was soon joined by his two flatmates, one of whom, Dutch national Youri Kai Smit, 31, also pulled her by the hair and ripped her pants. 

The alleged victim claimed that Smit touched her indecently on her private parts.

Following that alleged episode, she left the flat at around 6pm. 

The following day, she called the Sliema police station to report her ordeal.

The woman was immediately escorted to Mater Dei Hospital where she was certified as suffering slight injuries but was subjected to a gynaecological examination after making some other allegations.

When she later gave her sworn statement, the woman said there were two aggressors not three, claiming they were under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The three flatmates were arrested at their workplaces and escorted to the flat where a police search yielded some pink pills and two cannabis resin soaps in Smit’s room, explained prosecuting inspector Michael Vella. 

The man was on Thursday charged with holding the alleged victim against her will, slightly injuring her, committing a non-consensual sexual act and subjecting her to an act of physical intimacy.

He was also charged with possession of cannabis as well as psychotropic drugs 2C-B and ketamine under circumstances denoting that it was with the intent to supply. 

He pleaded not guilty. 

'Causing trouble'

Under questioning by defence lawyer Franco Debono, the prosecutor confirmed that, in his statement, Smit said he had simply told the woman to get out of the flat because she was causing trouble. 

Moreover, the alleged victim appeared to be inconsistent, saying her aggressors were three, then changing that to two. 

She also had “conveniently” not said that, at the time of the alleged incident, there was another woman at the apartment, argued Debono, making a request for bail. 

That request was objected to by the prosecution mainly in light of the gravity of the charges.

The search had yielded a total of 1740 2C-B pills, 300 grams of ketamine and 200 grams of cannabis resin, said inspector Marshal Mallia. 

There were also sexual allegations with witnesses still to testify, the fear of tampering was real and third parties were still being investigated. 

After hearing submissions, the court, presided over by magistrate Astrid May Grima, turned down the request in light of the prosecution’s arguments and also because of the risk that the accused might abscond. 

The court upheld the request for a freezing order over all the assets of the accused and also issued a protection order in favour of the alleged victim until the final judgment is given.

AG lawyer Darlene Grima also prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Joseph Borda were defence counsel. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are appearing parte civile.