Dubai: A salesman who poured benzene over a cash counter at a money exchange house and threatened to light a fire while attempting to rob the place has been jailed for six months.
The 52-year-old accused from New Zealand, M.W., walked into the exchange house armed with a bottle full of benzene and a lighter in May. He then threatened to set the cash counter on fire while trying to coerce the cashier to hand over the money.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendant of putting peoples’ lives at risk and attempted robbery.
The accused, who will be deported following the completion of his jail term, had entered a not guilty plea.
Records said M.W. poured benzene all over the counter and in the direction of the tellers and then threatened to set the place on fire after demanding money.
The accused rushed out of the place and ran away once the fire alarm system was activated, according to records.
Prosecutors charged M.W. with attempting to rob the place and intentionally endangering the lives of the tellers.
A Filipino supervisor said the accused approached the counter and sprinkled benzene from the bottle that he was carrying. “Once I walked out of the fax room, I saw the defendant waving the lighter with one hand and sprinkling benzene with the other. He was shouting that he wanted money. Then he sprinkled benzene near one of the tellers, but the staff did not get wet because of the protective glass. The defendant had a bag which he kept open and asked them to fill it with money. As soon as one of the staff pressed the emergency alarm button, the defendant ran away,” the Filipino said.
The fingerprints found at the crime scene matched those of M.W., according to records.
The defendant was cited as confessing that he entered the exchange house and sprinkled benzene with the intent to commit robbery.
He was also quoted as admitting that he purchased the benzene bottle from a nearby petrol station, parked his bicycle outside the exchange house, which he entered wearing a mask.
Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.