Dubai Misdemeanour Court sentenced a young Arab man to one month in jail, to be followed by deportation and fined him Dhs2,500 for stealing a phone from his girlfriend.
The incident dates back to September 2024 when a woman filed a police report stating her phone had been stolen.
She explained that she and her sister were having dinner with the suspect at a restaurant in Dubai Marina, after he had invited them with the intention of getting to know her for a potential relationship.
She added that while at the restaurant, she and her sister left their phone on the table and went to the washroom and upon returning, they did not find the phone and found that the accused had left without notice.
The victim's sister stated that she immediately tried to call him, but his phone was turned off, they then reported the incident to the police, who started an investigation.
A police man said that the detective team reviewed the restaurant's CCTV footage to discover that the suspect took advantage of the women's absence from the table, stole the phone, and quickly left the scene.
He was subsequently tracked down and arrested.
During questioning, he admitted to stealing the phone, claiming he was under the influence of alcohol and had thrown the phone on his way home.
The court ruled that the suspect premeditatedly stole the phone and was fully aware of his actions.