Dubai: A jobless man has been accused of using a crowbar to break into a flat and steal Dh400,000 in cash and other valuables while the tenants were away.
The 48-year-old Chinese man, J.M., and other defendants [who were tried earlier] were said to have used a crowbar to break the door’s locks and then entered the bedroom and stole the cash and valuables after destroying the drawer in which they were kept in March 2013.
Prosecutors charged J.M. with breaking and entering and theft.
The defendant entered a not guilty plea when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect and two other defendants [who according to court records have been jailed for two years each] broke into their compatriots’ flat and carried out the heist.
Police recently arrested J.M., who was at large, and forwarded him to justice.
The defendant was accused of stealing Dh400,000, a wristwatch worth Dh29,000, a gold bracelet and a few identification cards.
“What do you want from the court?” presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat asked the suspect.
“I am seeking leniency,” replied J.M., who remains in custody.
A police sergeant testified to prosecutors: “Two Chinese people, who lived in the flat, reported to the police that their flat had been burgled. Primary interrogations revealed that the two defendants [B.Y. and Q.A.] had been involved in the heist. Upon searching their residence, we confiscated a number of hard tools [crowbars and hammers] that are frequently used in burglaries. During questioning, the two convicts admitted that they broke into the complainants’ flat and stole cash and valuables… they confessed that J.M. was with them during the heist. B.Y. claimed that his share was Dh16,000, while Q.A.’s share was Dh10,000. They also admitted that they used the seized hard tools to carry out their heist and other thefts as well.”
A ruling will be heard soon.
