Dubai: An Emirati policeman and his niece have been jailed after a court convicted them  of having an incestuous relationship, which led to an illegitimate pregnancy.

The Dubai Court of Misdemeanors jailed the 26-year-old policeman for one year for having consensual sex with his 23-year-old niece, who was jailed for three months.

Presiding Judge Zakaria Abdul Aziz handed the policeman, K.S., an additional year in jail for consuming a mind-altering substance.

When K.S. appeared in court he denied having consensual sex with 23-year-old A.A. and pleaded not guilty.

However he admitted taking mind-altering substances including Nordazipam, Timazipam and Oxazipam. Meanwhile, A.A. denied allowing her uncle to have consensual sex with her. She alleged that she was raped.

According to the charges sheet, prosecutors said K.S. had consensual sex with his niece, who allowed him to sleep with her like husband and wife.

A.A.'s lawyer Yasser Al Naqbi, of Excel Advocates and Legal Consultants, accused the uncle of deceiving his niece and raping her.

"Perhaps the court has realised that during the process of preparing our defence, we were suffering enormous embarrassment due to the nature of the case. Defending someone in such a case is awkward and saddening. However after thoroughly studying the interrogation reports and evidence submitted by prosecutors against our client, A.A., we maintain that K.S. deceived her before raping her. Our client is a victim of rape and she did not have consensual sex with K.S.," argued advocate Al Naqbi when he defended A.A. in court. Following yesterday's verdict, Al Naqbi told Gulf News that he will appeal the primary judgment soon.

Prosecutors accused K.S. of consuming a mind-altering substance. "My client alleged in her police statement that K.S. threatened to kill her if she refused to please him.

"She claimed that he forced her to have sex with him in his car.

"We ask the court to modify the charges from consensual sex to rape," contended Al Naqbi.

Police records showed that the niece's father reported to Al Qusais Police Station that the girl was subject to incest rape and conceived unlawfully.

Yesterday's judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.