Dubai: An off-duty policeman, who sought leniency in a rape case claiming that he married the woman, has been jailed for six months.

The man pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance. His lawyer argued that his client did not rape the woman, and sought lenient punishment, or suspended imprisonment, claiming that the woman had married him and waived her complaint.

“She is my wife … she moved into my house since five months now,” the man told the court.

On Tuesday, presiding judge Mohammad Jamal sentenced the defendant to six months in jail.

The 28-year-old policeman met the Emirati woman, who works in aviation, in 2016 when they were both working at the Dubai International Airport.

They became friends and he reportedly proposed marriage. The couple communicated over the phone for nearly six months before the man stopped contacting the woman.

In March, he allegedly got in touch with her and convinced her to meet him and discuss their marriage.

According to records, the woman agreed to meet him in a parking lot where they got into the man’s car. He drove around the city before parking his vehicle between some villas with the engine running. He then raped the woman. After being dropped back to her car, the woman drove to the nearest police station and reported the rape.

She testified that she met the policeman when he once helped her solve an issue pertaining to a trip that she took in 2016.

“He helped me out and we started communicating over the phone. I informed him that I had been married before. We chatted over the phone for nearly six months before he disappeared suddenly for reasons that I did not know. In March, he resumed communication … he told me he still wanted to marry me. When I sat with him in his car to discuss our marriage details, he jumped on me and raped me. I shouted and cried for help, but to no avail … I do not know if anybody heard me or saw us. Later I reported him to the police … but then I waived my complaint because I wanted to be a wife and we got married,” she said.

The ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.