UAE | Crime

Salesman chases down purse-snatcher in Dubai

A salesman helped catch a thief after he responded to a woman shopper's cry for help and stopped a visitor, who had snatched her purse in public and tried to run away with it.

  • By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
  • Published: 23:29 July 11, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: A salesman helped catch a thief after he responded to a woman shopper's cry for help and stopped a visitor, who had snatched her purse in public and tried to run away with it.

When the Iranian salesman heard the cries for help of the woman, A.I., a child counsellor, he chased the 21-year-old Pakistani visitor and prevented him from running away until police came.

The Pakistani suspect pleaded not guilty to assault and purse-snatching when he appeared before Dubai Court of First Instance on Friday

The Public Prosecution charged the defendant, B.A., with stealing Dh50 from the 40-year-old woman from Kyrgyzstan after knocking her down. He was also charged with infiltrating and unlawfully staying in the country.

The woman testified: "I went out with my friend to check if my salary had been released at a nearby ATM and to buy bread ... suddenly the suspect came from behind, [punched] me on my shoulder, snatched the purse and tried to run. Then he knocked me on the head when I held [on to] my purse firmly. He pushed me down to the ground and started running, but the salesman who saw what happened intervened and stopped him until the police took him to the station."

The 39-year-old Iranian said: "He threw the purse on the ground when I stopped him ... then I reported the police."

A verdict will be heard soon.

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