Dubai: A driver will spend 10 years in jail for taking a saleswoman he had met via WhatsApp to the desert and raping her.

The 32-year-old Filipina saleswoman had rejected the 27-year-old Pakistani driver’s sexual advances earlier that day before she accepted his invite for suhour [late dinner during Ramadan] in June last year.

In November, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the driver to five years in jail for raping the woman and stealing her wallet that contained her phone and credit card.

However, the defendant appealed his primary judgement and sought to have his punishment reduced when he appeared before the Dubai Appeal Court.

The defendant pleaded not guilty, refuted the Filipina’s rape claims, and contended before the appellate court that they had consensual sex.

Presiding judge Eisa Al Sharif dismissed the Pakistani’s appeal and increased the jail sentence to 10 years.

The accused will be deported after serving the jail term, according to the appeal verdict.

The saleswoman testified that she had met the defendant via WhatsApp and he used to drive her to work.

“On that day, I rejected his sexual advancements when he tried to flirt with me. Later in the evening, I accepted his invite to go out for suhour. He picked me up from home around 1.30am and drove towards a remote desert area … he beat me up and threatened me. Then he ripped off my dress and raped me. I cried and begged him to stop but he refused. Then he drove back towards the city and took away my handbag that contained my phone and credit card. He threatened to kill me if I reported what had happened to the police. I had to jump out of the car when it was in motion … then I spotted a guard and called him to help me. The guard handed me his phone and I reported the matter to the police instantly,” she said.

A police corporal said that the defendant was identified from his WhatsApp number and later he was arrested.

The accused was quoted as admitting to prosecutors that he had sex with the saleswoman.

The appellate judgement remains subject to appeal within 25 days.