Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

A habitual drinker who ended up abusing a woman he was planning to marry was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years behind bars by the Dubai Criminal Court.

The unemployed Arab defendant, 36, breached the honour of the Moroccan woman, 37 - a sales executive - inside his apartment at around 1:30am on July 28.

He clutched her and seized her mouth, records read.

She reported him to the Rashidiyah Police Station. During police and prosecution interrogations, the defendant admitted to have had a physical encounter with her.

He will be deported after serving the life term.

On the record, the woman revealed he befriended her after several visits to her workplace at a shop inside a mall.

He proposed to marry her.

She agreed provided he travels to her homeland and meet her parents.

Their relationship became unstable as she kept demanding him to stop drinking. They broke up. He later relentlessly apologised and invited her for a supper.

She thought he was taking her to a restaurant as usual. He rather took her to his flat in Al Warsan for a supper.

He harassed her and demanded to know whether she really loved him.

She reminded him he had to visit her homeland for an official marriage as earlier agreed. He abused alcohol until he was too intoxicated.

He turned against her and harassed her.

He tried to sexually assault her. She foiled his advances. He punched her right cheek. She tried to run outside. He stopped her.

They brawled as he offended her until 6:00am.

He fell asleep until 1:30pm. He tried to talk her into forgiving him.

She returned to her residence and sat recalling the appalling attack.

She resolved to report him to the police.