Dubai: A shepherd has been acquitted of stealing six sheep from his boss’ farm and selling them in the cattle market to another shepherd.
Citing lack of evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance cleared the 32-year-old Bangladeshi shepherd, A.M., of stealing the six sheep from his Emirati boss and selling them to a 61-year-old Pakistani shepherd, K.K.
However, presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi fined K.K. Dh5,000 for possessing the stolen sheep.
“I did not steal the sheep…” said A.M. when he defended himself in court.
Meanwhile K.K. said he bought the sheep but did not know they were stolen.
“I bought them for Dh2,400 without realising that they were stolen from a farm,” said K.K.
The 80-year-old Emirati said he went to Al Ruwayah to buy some grass to feed his cattle.
“I saw a specific kind of sheep that looked like the ones I have at my farm. When I asked the man who was selling me the grass about the sheep, he told me that K.K. kept them at his farm. I tried to meet K.K. to buy the sheep but he failed to show up. I reported to the police that the sheep were stolen,” he said.
A police corporal told prosecutors: “He [K.K.] admitted to me that he purchased the sheep for Dh2,400 from A.M. in a farm in Al Ruwayah. K.K. went with us in a police patrol to the farm where we arrested the Bangladeshi. The latter admitted that he and his friend stole the sheep from their boss’ farm. A.M. also admitted that his friend ran away,” said the corporal.
The ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
