Dubai: A man and his accomplice were jailed for a year each for trespassing into a man’s villa and stealing his 55-inch smart television set and surround system while he was away on holiday.

The two Emirati men, 25-year-old E.M. and A.S., sneaked into the villa through a window after they broke its door open, and took out the TV set and other appliances through the main door in August 2014.

In June this year, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the duo to one year in jail for robbing the Canadian man’s villa at night although they had pleaded not guilty.

E.M. was sentenced in absentia.

Following his arrest later, he requested a retrial and renewed his not guilty plea.

He contended before the presiding judge that he did not break the window and did not sneak into the villa or steal the smart TV worth Dh5,000, the surround system and Dh3,500.

During the retrial, the Court of First Instance handed E.S. the same punishment [one year in jail].

The Canadian man testified that his gardener called him while he was on holiday and told him that someone had broken into the villa.

“The gardener reported the robbery to the police. When I returned to Dubai the next day, I discovered that the thieves had stolen the television set and the surround system and taken some cash left in the bedroom. I informed the police station. Police summoned me a month later. The police had recovered my 55-inch TV, receiver and surround system,” he said.

A police sergeant said E.M. was arrested first following his involvement in another theft that was carried out using the same modus operandi.

“We obtained the prosecutor’s permission and brought E.M. from another detention centre where he had been detained for his involvement in another case. During questioning, he claimed that he had committed the theft in collaboration with A.S. E.M. said A.S. drove his car to Mirdif area and they jumped over the wall of the Canadian man’s villa, opened the window, stole the items and ran away,” he testified.

A.S. was apprehended later.

The convicts are scheduled to appear before the Appeal Court soon.