Dubai: Two Austrian sisters will be sentenced in absentia after they failed to appear in court where they are being tried for assaulting and threatening to throw a businesswoman from the 41st-floor of a tower at Dubai Marina.
The sisters, who remain at large according to prosecution records, were said to have assaulted the Saudi businesswoman, threatened to throw her from the 41st floor and robbed her of four cheques worth Dh14.72 million besides cash and valuables.
Records said the fugitives entered the businesswoman’s apartment without her consent before beating her up and threatening to throw her from the balcony. They then took the cheques and other important documents in January, 2014.
In a previous hearing, the Austrians’ lawyer provided the Dubai Court of First Instance with documents confirming that the defendants had missed the hearing because of sickness.
“Considering that the defendants have been notified about the trial as per article 159 of the Criminal Procedures Law, the court will hand out a ruling against them on May 28,” said presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat on Monday.
The Austrian suspects failed to attend Monday’s trial.
The suspects were also said to have cursed the Saudi and taken away laptop, cash and jewellery and a document pertaining to an ownership waiver of a property in North Cyprus, in addition to important business contracts.
Prosecutors charged the suspects with assault, threat, cursing, robbery and trespassing.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the two women threatened to throw the businesswoman from the tower if she did not leave and allow them to take what they wanted. They also cursed her and inflicted blows on different parts of her body.
The duo was also accused of robbing the businesswoman of cheques worth Dh14.72 million ($4 million), around Dh77,200 ($21,000 in cash), Dh16,000 worth of jewellery, business contracts and the property waiver document.
In her prosecution statement, the businesswoman testified that the defendants entered her flat without her consent carrying two huge travel bags at 11.30am.
“When I tried to prevent them from taking my documents and important papers, they assaulted me. I grabbed the telephone and dialled 999 and informed the policeman that the defendants were assaulting me. They threatened to throw me from the balcony. They kicked the building’s security guards who came and tried to stop them from assaulting me. They took my cheques and documents and left,” said the businesswoman.
A witness was cited telling prosecutors that the suspects were taken aback when they found the businesswoman in the flat. When one of the suspects asked the Saudi why she was in the flat, the latter alleged that she had rented the flat from the suspects’ father.
Records did not explain how the defendants and the Saudi woman knew one another.
