Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld a verdict issued by the Court of First Instance sentencing an Asian maid to six months in jail to be followed by deportation and fining her Dhs20,000 after being convicted of stealing a golden necklace valued at Dhs20,000 from her employer’s house 14 days after she was employed.

The case dates back to last June when a woman filed a complaint in which she stated that her gold necklace valued at Dhs20,000 had been stolen from her bedroom cupboard.

The complainant stated in the interrogations that she posted an ad on her website in which she said she needed a maid to look after her children and elderly mother and clean the house while she was at work.

Later, the defendant contacted her via WhatsApp and asked to be employed as a maid as per the posted ad, she added.

When the complainant asked her about her legal status in the UAE, the defendant sent her copies of passport and valid visa that she alleged belonged to her and she was accepted to work at the victim’s house, she said.

The complainant added that 14 days later, she discovered that her maid escaped from the house and that her gold necklace in her bedroom cupboard was missing.

She tried to call the maid but her mobile phone remained shut down and consequently she reported the incident to the police.

According to the official documents, a team of detectives managed to spot and arrest the defendant in a neighbouring emirate and she was identified by the victim in the police lineup.

On interrogation, the maid confessed to having stolen the victim’s necklace and that she was staying in the UAE illegally, adding that she took advantage of a passport and residence visa belonging to a fellow woman to be able to get the job.

She also admitted that she did the same more than once, taking advantage of the need of some families for a maid and that she earlier stole Dhs5,000 from an Arab family in Mirdif.