Dubai: A vendor, who sexually abused a pregnant stewardess in her kitchen when she asked him to fix a five-gallon water bottle above the dispenser, has been jailed for three months.
The Costa Rican stewardess called the water provider and asked them to drop a five-gallon water bottle at her flat in Al Garhoud in December.
The woman heard knocks on her door and when she opened, it was the Pakistani vendor, 24, who came to deliver the water bottle.
Because of her pregnancy, the Costa Rican woman asked the defendant to fix the bottle for her.
The Pakistani entered the kitchen to help the woman, who brought a glass to empty the remaining water in the old bottle.
While doing so, the 24-year-old vendor grabbed the woman from back, pulled her towards him, groped her and sexually abused her.
She instantly turned around, yelled at the vendor and kicked him out of her apartment.
The traumatised woman reported the matter to the police the next day.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the Pakistani of sexually abusing the victim although he pleaded not guilty.
“I work for a company that distributes bottled water to houses. The incident happened while I was delivering a bottle to her flat but I did not molest her,” the defendant told the court.
According to the primary judgement, the accused will be deported after serving his jail term.
The stewardess said she asked the accused to assist her in putting the bottle on the dispenser because she could not carry heavy weight due to her pregnancy.
“While I was emptying the remaining water from the old bottle into a glass, he came from behind and pulled me towards him. I turned around and pushed him back. I moved away and instantly ordered him to leave. I was petrified, and did not know what I should do. I reported the matter to the police the next day,” she testified.
A police sergeant said the defendant refuted the woman’s allegations and contended that he bumped into the woman’s body by mistake.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 11 days.
