Dubai: A student and a coach have been accused of jumping over a villa’s wall and stealing three Macaws after they broke the cage with a screwdriver.
An Indian employee had gone on vacation to his homeland and when he returned, he discovered that his birds’ cage had been broken and three Macaw birds missing in October.
The footage from the surveillance cameras outside his residence, according to records, 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 — an 18-year-old Emirati student and a 25-year-old Omani coach and his 15-year-old compatriot student.
Prosecutors accused the trio of jumping over the villa’s wall, breaking the cage and stealing the birds.
The 15-year-old suspect is being tried before the Dubai Juveniles Court.
On Wednesday, the 18-year-old Emirati stood trial before the Dubai Court of First Instance and entered a not guilty plea before presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi. The 25-year-old Omani failed to appear in court.
“I was not present with them at the time of the theft,” the Emirati suspect told presiding judge Al Shamsi.
The Indian owner of the birds claimed to prosecutors that the theft happened while he was away on holiday.
A police corporal testified to prosecutors, “During questioning, the suspects admitted that two of them climbed the wall while the third suspect stayed outside watching the place out. 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 claimed to prosecutors.
Presiding judge Al Shamsi adjourned the case until the 25-year-old suspect is legally notified about the next hearing on February 21.
