Dubai: A coach has been sentenced to a year in jail for jumping over a villa’s wall and stealing three macaws after he broke the cage with a screwdriver.
An Indian employee had gone on vacation to his homeland and when he returned in October, he discovered that his birds’ cage had been broken and three macaws missing.
The footage from the surveillance cameras fixed outside his residence showed two persons jumping over the wall and stealing the birds from his house in Al Bidaa.
The employee reported the theft to the police.
Police investigation led to the arrest of three persons — a 25-year-old Omani coach, an 18-year-old Emirati student and a 15-year-old student.
The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced in absentia the Omani defendant of jumping over the villa’s wall, breaking the cage and stealing the birds. He will be deported after serving his punishment.
According to the primary ruling, the Emirati student was acquitted due to lack of strong evidence.
The 15-year-old suspect is being tried before the Dubai Juveniles Court.
The Emirati student strongly refuted his accusation when he entered a not guilty plea in court.
“I was not present with them at the time of the theft,” the Emirati told the court.
The Indian owner of the birds said the theft happened while he was away on holiday.
A police corporal testified to prosecutors that the suspects admitted that two of them climbed the wall while the third suspect stayed outside watching the place.
“The suspects claimed that they broke the cage’s lock with a screwdriver and stole the macaws. We searched the house of the 15-year-old and found five birds … the Indian complainant identified his three birds at the suspect’s house,” the corporal said.
The Omani coach is entitled a retrial, as per the UAE’s Criminal Procedures Law, once he surrenders himself.
