Dubai: A worker was jailed for three months for groping a woman shopper inside a branded store at a mall and showing her his middle finger.
The 34-year-old Chinese woman was in a corridor between display shelves when the 18-year-old Iranian worker walked beside her and rubbed her posterior in October.
When she confronted him, he apologised and she pardoned him, said records.
However, the 18-year-old suddenly flashed his middle finger in the face of the woman shopper, who then called the security and asked them to restrain the man until she called the police.
The 18-year-old worker broke loose and escaped from the hands of the security.
The policemen present at the mall apprehended the worker shortly after the incident.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendant of groping the woman and gesturing indecently in public.
The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was also handed a deportation order.
The 34-year-old shopper said the incident happened at 8.35pm while she was shopping with her friend in Deira.
“Suddenly I felt someone groping my posterior and rubbing it … I turned around and saw the suspect. He apologised when I confronted him. I pardoned him because he looked so young … I called the security guards at the mall once he flicked his middle finger to me,” she said.
The shopper’s countrywoman friend said she was next to the 34-year-old complainant who suddenly screamed.
“The defendant told her sorry for having touched her bottom and she excused him. He walked for a few metres before he turned around and showed her the middle finger … my friend then called the security. While my friend was speaking to the police over the phone, the defendant escaped from the hands of the security. However, he was arrested later and taken into custody,” she testified.
The accused has already appealed his punishment and is scheduled to appear before the Appeal Court soon.
