Court upholds jail term in fatal robbery

Hamza M. Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A female robber implicated in a case that saw her peer fall to death in a botched escape must see out her two-year prison term, the Dubai Appeals Court upheld.

The unemployed African defendant, 34, teamed up with the (deceased) compatriot mugger to confine a Saudi visitor, 38, at around 3am in Oct.2018. The visitor locked up the mugger and threatened to call the police.

During a frantic attempt to escape, the mugger fell to her death from the building’s balcony. The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced the defendant to two years in jail plus deportation. She has failed to challenge the ruling.

On the record, both ‘streetwalkers’ summoned the visitor for a physical affair. They forced him to strip, photographed him and threatened to disseminate the photos on social media sites unless he gave them cash.

He gave them Dhs1,500. They demanded more, tortured him and threatened to kill him. He fought back and scuffled with the defendant until outside the apartment. He locked the mugger inside. The defendant fled.  

During prosecution investigations, the visitor complained that a woman on social media sent him her photo and called him for a Dhs1,500 massage service. He went to her apartment. The defendant opened for him.

He entered and asked for the woman who had sent him her photo.

The defendant locked the door, approached him and stripped. The mugger showed up and started video recording and taking photos of him with the defendant.

They demanded cash and threatened to publicise the content on social media sites. A Yemeni policeman told police and prosecutors that he found the mugger’s body beside the building’s swimming pool downstairs. Cops detained the visitor.

“He told me he had locked the mugger inside so he could run after the defendant,” said the policeman. An Emirati warrant officer added, “I was at the scene when I spotted the defendant passing by. Female cops helped apprehend her.”