Silvio Berlusconi: Ruby sex trial plea rejected

An Italian court has denied the request of former PM Silvio Berlusconi to halt a trial where he is accused of having sex with an under-age prostitute.

The court in Milan also decided they did not need to hear testimony from Moroccan club dancer Karima El Mahroug.

Mr Berlusconi's lawyers requested the trial be halted during elections, where he is standing for prime minister.

Both he and Ms Mahroug have denied ever having sex. Sex with a prostitute who is under 18 is a crime in Italy.

Mr Berlusconi is standing in the election, after stepping down from a third term as prime minister in November 2011, when he was replaced by the technocrat Mario Monti.

Lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said Mr Berlusconi would be too busy campaigning to follow the case or attend court - and also feared the trial could influence the election.

But judges rejected the application.

Prosecutors have accused the defence of trying to prolong, and now delay, the trial to avoid a verdict before the election, at the end of February.

Ms Mahroug, better known by her nickname "Ruby Heartstealer", had arrived at the trial to give testimony for the defence.

She has been called twice before, but has failed to show up, apparently because she was on holiday in Mexico.