Jail Term Reduced for Men who Robbed Filipinas in Dubai
DUBAI: A Dubai court has reduced on appeal the five-year sentences awarded to two unemployed men for breaking into the apartment of five women, threatening them with swords and then robbing them, media reports said.
The Filipina victims were in their living room on March 7 last year when four or five men broke open their front door. Two men stood guard with the women with swords pointed at their necks while the others ransacked the flat, The National reported.
In June, Dubai Criminal Court reportedly convicted Emirati M A, 29, and Yemeni A M, 28, of armed robbery and sentenced each to five years in jail. The Yemeni will be deported after his jail term.
Prosecutors reportedly said they stole Dh19,800 in cash, US$100 (Dh367), an iPhone, a BlackBerry and jewellery.
Meanwhile, Filipina victim N L told the court that it was nearly 7pm when the men broke into the flat in Naif armed with two swords.
“Two of them took me and my flatmates to a room where they watched us and kept the swords to our necks while the others robbed the place,” she was quoted as saying.
N L ran into a room, locked herself in and tried to call police but the gang broke the door down and took the phone away, before continuing the robbery, the report said.
One of the accused bumped into the broken door as he left the flat, cutting his hand and leaving blood that led to his arrest, said policeman Q T, 32.
The Yemeni suspect was also found to be in the UAE illegally, having returned after a previous deportation, The National reported.
Dubai Court of Appeal reduced both the jail terms to a year but upheld the deportation against A M. No reason was given for the sentence reduction, said the Abu Dhabi-based news portal.