Student faces 15 years in jail for stealing teddy bear

Dubai: A 20-year-old student could face 15 years in jail and deportation for trying to steal a teddy bear worth Dh25 during Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF).

Prosecutors accused the student, A.A., from Comoros Islands, of snatching the teddy bear from the display shelf of a DSF booth near AL Ghurair City then assaulting one of the workers, who foiled his theft attempt.

“No I did not steal the teddy bear. I saw the teddy bear thrown on the ground in front of the booth while I was walking to my car. It is not true that I detached it from the shelf. I also did not assault the worker,” said A.A. when he pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

“It is impossible and illogical for a person, who owns a car, to try to steal a teddy bear that’s worth between Dh20-30. My client was heading to his car and saw the teddy bear thrown on the ground. He did not detach it from the front of the display shelves. Besides, the worker, who claims he stopped my client, came running from 100 meters away to the booth to stop A.A. How could have he seen the alleged robbery from that distance,” A.A.’s lawyer argued before Presiding Judge Mohammad Jamal Kamel in courtroom four.

According to the arraignment sheet, prosecutors accused A.A. of attempting to steal by use of force when he snatched the teddy bear from the booth after closure time. Then he beat and kicked the Pakistani worker, who stopped A. A. from running away.

Prosecutors have asked for the implementation of Federal Penal Code’s article 385 that stipulates that a suspect, who steals by force and coercion, could face a temporary imprisonment which varies between three to 15 years in jail. He could also face a deportation.

The worker, M.A., testified that he saw the defendant snatching the teddy bear and walking away around 1:30am.
“When I tried to stop him, he beat me on my head with the torn teddy bear and kicked me on my genitals. Then he kicked me on my leg when I fell own on the floor. Immediately I called my Pakistani coworker, T.I., for help,” M.A. claimed to prosecutors.

T.I. rushed to assist, according to his testimony, M.A. who was thrown on the floor and had restrained the suspect.

“All the DSF booths and shops were closed when the alleged incident happened… M.A. told me that the suspect stole the teddy bear. The teddy bear was torn from its backside which meant that it was snatched by force from the display shelf,” T.I. claimed.

A Pakistani witness claimed he saw the suspect attack M.A. who tried to foil his theft attempt.

A verdict will be heard on April 24.