A 70 year old vegetable seller was blackmailed for over €15,000 by three women after he undressed when he was promised sex by one of them. The court ordered a ban on the publication of the women’s names.

The man had a soft spot for one of the women. He was caught in the nude by the nephew of one of the women who threw him out naked from the apartment.

According to the charges the women, one aged 38, her daughter aged 17, and her sister, agreed that one of them would lead the man, from Cospicua, to think she would give him sex. They went to a place in Cospicua on 31 October, 2009, when the man undressed to one of the women, and the other two filmed him, then threatened they would show the film to his wife, and tell her what had happened.

The plot was repeated twice more, on 10 and 11 November in Zabbar.

The woman for whom the man had a soft spot testified yesterday that he often pestered her. She owed the vegetable seller about €600, for vegetables, and for poultry he sometimes gave her.

She said that she had not signed the statement she gave the police, because she had not told the truth. She also owed her sister Lm1,600 and confirmed that she and another woman had agreed to get their back on him, and make some money out of it.

They agreed to ask the man to enter the apartment, which he did. He undressed and she took off her bra. Her sister asked for Lm2,800 and if he did not pay they would tell his wife. He promised he would and afterwards she smashed the mobile used to film the scene.

They thought up another plot, claiming that her daughter needed Lm3,000 to find a place where to live because her father was throwing her out of the house. She was then 17 years old and had a child to bring up. The vegetable seller gave them the money and as before, they shared it between them. She paid her dues to her sister. They also told the vegetable seller he would be paid what he was owed by sex.

Inspector Fabian Fleri prosecuted, Dr Michael Sciriha is defence counsel for the women. Dr Joanne Vella Cuschieri appeared as parte civile for the victim.