The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A hotel cleaner mishandled a guest’s daughter and later claimed he was under the influence of Satan. The Dubai Appeals Court has upheld his one-year-jail term.

The Asian cleaner, 21, was on duty inside a hotel apartment in Deira when he encroached on the 5-year-old Nigerian girl in the living room. When her grandmother showed up, he stormed out leaving the apartment door open.

Before prosecutors, he admitted and contended he was tempted by Satan. In court on Mar.10 he denied.

The Dubai Criminal Court sent him to spend one year in jail after which he will be deported. He appealed in vain.

The grandmother, 53, testified that the defendant walked in at around 6pm on Nov.30 saying he had come to clean the apartment. “I went inside a room to babysit my daughter’s newborn. I returned to the living room 20 minutes later.

“The defendant jumped out of the living room and fled, leaving his broom behind and the apartment door open. I was puzzled.

“The girl went to the washroom and started cleaning her mouth. She then started cleaning herself.”   

The grandmother asked her what was wrong. The girl explained the bad things the defendant did to her.  

“The grandmother called the defendant and he denied. The girl kept saying he was lying.” Her father said, “She was upset and scared.”

The matter reached the police but the defendant had left the hotel. The next day when he returned to work, cops pinned him down.

He denied during police questioning. A forensic report confirmed he had encroached on her.

During prosecution questioning, the defendant confessed and narrated that he was cleaning the living room when the girl came and rested on a sofa.

There was no one else in the room apart from them. The devil lured him to attack her.