Dubai: A court has spared a renowned Emirati actress from serving a month in jail after she was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Dubai Appeals Court on Tuesday scrapped the imprisonment and upheld a Dh20,000 fine against the 40-year-old TV star after she sought clemency before the jury last week.
When she appeared before the Appeals Court she claimed she was emotionally stressed and under heavy work pressure in preparation for Ramadan TV serials while she contended her involvement in a drink-driving accident.
The Emirati actress confessed before the judge that she consumed alcohol because she was facing work and emotional pressures.
Reports confirmed that, upon examination, she had 242mg/dl of alcohol in her blood. According to yesterday's judgment, the court confirmed that the defendant's driving licence will be revoked for one year.
The actress, who appeared in courtroom 17, pleaded with the judge to treat her with leniency claiming that "she has four children to take care of".
The accused was found guilty of consuming alcohol, driving under the influence of liquor, failing to keep a distance between her car and that of an Emirati man before she rammed his car.
Her lawyer in a written defence argued that his client consumed liquor outside the country and was under a lot of pressure.
