UAE | Crime
Hunter who stole birds from shaikh's farm get suspended sentence
Hunter wins three-month suspended imprisonment after retruning Houbara bustards he stole from shaikh's farm
- By Bassam Za'Za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 15:23 February 8, 2012
Dubai: A young hunter won a three-month suspended imprisonment after a court incriminated him stealing Houbara bustards from a shaikh's farm.
The Dubai Court of First Instance suspended the imprisonment of 19-year-old Pakistani hunter, S.A., due to his young age and because he returned the stolen Houbara bustards.
Presiding Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi said the imprisonment will be suspended for three years, during which the defendant is not supposed to repeat the same crime.
Prosecutors charged S.A. of abusing his work as a hunter at the shaikh's farm and stealing from there Houbara bustards.
"Yes I stole the Houbara birds from the farm. But I returned them," argued S.A. when he defended himself in court.
Prosecutors asked for the implementation of the toughest punishment [which is seven years in jail] applicable against the defendant.
S.A. apologised for what he did before the court and pleaded for leniency.
An Emirati man, who is charge of the shaikh's farm in Jebel Ali, testified that a farm worker asked him if he took the Houbara bustards.
"I said no. The worker told me that S.A. came to him one night and claimed that I asked him to take the Houbara bustards. But I didn't ask the suspect to do so. When I confronted them, S.A. denied taking the Houbara bustards. Then I informed the police."
A police patrol arrested S.A. at the farm and during questioning he confessed that he stole the Houbara.
According to his police confession, S.A. said he took the Houbara bustards and handed them to a person named Saeed. He also admitted that he stole an unknown number of birds.
Court records said the defendant claimed that he stole Dh5000 and an iPad and a Blackberry phone from the farm.
The suspect admitted during prosecution questioning that he stole the Houbara and other items.
The primary verdict remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
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