Expat family in Dubai recounts moments of horror as robbers broke into villa

Dubai: A gang of three expatriates went on trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance for breaking into a Dubai villa for robbery, before threatening the family with a knife and bars.

A 58-year-old Irish teacher said on record that in August 2020, she was in the kitchen at her villa in Bur Dubai when she heard someone open the main door. “Suddenly, a masked man stood in front of me. I was shocked and fell on the ground when I saw him carrying a knife. He asked for money and I told him not to harm me to get the money,” said the Irish victim on records. She then went outside the kitchen and opened her bag to hand over the money when her two daughters came from the second floor after hearing the commotion.

‘Second masked man’

“I gave them [the robbers] a vase full of coins and they fled the house. They warned us not to call the police, but my daughter alerted Dubai Police,” she added. The 17-year-old Irish daughter of the woman testified that she had heard her mother yell while she was having her breakfast in the living room. She then went to the kitchen to check, when she saw a second masked man holding a bar.

“I asked him not to hurt me. He held my hand when my sister came from upstairs. She gave him Dh400 and my mother gave them the vase containing coins,” said the student on record.

Dubai Police arrived at the villa and saw the mother and her daughters crying.

After intensive investigation, three Pakistani defendants were arrested in Sharjah. The first defendant admitted of planning the robbery with the other defendants. They bought masks and entered from the villa’s main door and threatened the mother and her daughter. One of them threatened the mother with a knife while the other two controlled the sisters. A fourth defendant, who was the villa’s gardener, is still at large.

Dubai Public Prosecution has charged the three Pakistani defendants with robbery and threatening the victims.

The next hearing is scheduled for November 22.