Thief Forced Filipina to Strip in Dubai Before Escaping
Dubai: A thief has been accused of trespassing into a woman’s house in Al Baraha area of Dubai and forcing her to strip at knifepoint as he searched her room and robbed her.
The 26-year-old jobless man, Y.J. was said to have sneaked into the Filipina’s bedroom from the balcony and threatened to kill her with the knife if she didn’t stay quiet and remove her clothes in December 2014 as he stole her cash, a necklace with a pendant and her laptop.
The Sierra Leonean suspect pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.
“I did not steal her laptop or cash. All these accusations are fabricated … I did not do any of that,” the suspect told presiding judge Mohammad Jamal in court.
Prosecutors reportedly said he took Dh400 in cash and snatched the necklace from her neck.
The 25-year-old Filipina said she woke up around 2am and was shocked to see the suspect standing beside her bed at her flat in Al Baraha.
“He gagged me once I tried to cry out for help. He asked me to remain silent otherwise he would kill me with a knife. He then asked me to take off my dress … but when I cried and covered my chest, he said ‘Do you want me to kill you!’. He took out of my wallet and took Dh400 … he forced me to undress and remain naked facing the wall. I managed to rush out of the room while he was busy searching the room for more things to steal. I locked myself up in my flatmates’ bedroom … they woke up and called the police immediately,” she testified.
She added that the defendant ran away before the police arrived.
Two months later, police found out that YJ had been in detention for another rape attempt case. His fingerprints were lifted from the victim’s room.
Confronting him with this complaint, he admitted to entering the flat from the balcony of the flat. He also admitted threatening the woman of killing and robbing her after asking her to strip.
He admitted to consuming alcohol on the night of the theft.
The victim recognized the accused when shown via identification parade. The Dubai Prosecution asked the court to award the accused toughest penalty.
The court will reconvene on February 23.