Pinoy faces UAE court for allegedly mugging, threatening woman – reports

A Filipino faced a United Arab Emirates court Monday on charges he mugged a Lebanese woman, took Dh15 (P180) from her, and threatened to kill her last January 4.
 
The Filipino, 48, entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance, according to a report on UAE news site Gulf News.
 
“I did not steal anything,” he said in a written defense to presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat.
The report said a ruling will be heard on April 9.
 
A separate report on Khaleej Times said the incident occurred Jan. 4.
 
Prosecutors claimed the Filipino opened the car door of the Lebanese woman, 32, just as she was about to drive away from a mall parking lot.
 
He then allegedly pointed a screwdriver at her and threatened to kill her, then had her empty her pockets. His face was covered with a white cloth at the time.
 
The Lebanese woman said the incident occurred at 9 p.m. when she got into her car.
 
She said the Filipino opened the door and squeezed himself into the car, then pointed a hard tool at her stomach.
 
"I will kill you… give me money," she recalled him telling her.
 
"I cried and told him that I did not have any cash. He was so edgy and threatened me again and demanded money. I took out my purse and opened it in front of him and showed him that it was empty. There was only Dh15, which he took. I was not aware that the Dh15 was there … he took the money and fled,” she said.
 
A policeman testified the woman informed them about the color of the man’s clothes. They checked surveillance cameras and tracked the suspect down.
 
An investigation showed the suspect was using a car rented in Sharjah. A police patrol team arrested the Filipino.
 
The defendant was said to have confessed that he mugged the woman, and claimed he spent the Dh15 to buy food. — Joel Locsin/RSJ, GMA News

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