Mechanic gets year in prison for molesting woman in car

Dubai: A Pakistani mechanic has been sentenced to a year in prison for molesting a Filipina in his car after promising to drop her off at her workplace.

The Dubai Court of First Instance also ordered that the 24-year-old man be deported after serving his jail term.

The 27-year-old victim testified that she was offered a lift by the accused in Satwa after she failed to find a cab to get to her workplace in Creek Park.

She accepted the offer as she was getting late.

The Public Prosecution charged the mechanic, O.W., with exploiting R.A.'s need for a taxi, kidnapping her and molesting her.

The mechanic rejected the Filipina's accusations and pleaded innocence the first time he appeared before the court last month.

In her statement, R.A. claimed: "I was waiting desperately for a taxi because I had to be at work before 9am... the suspect stopped his car in front of me and offered to drive me. I got into the front passenger seat and he started driving."

R.A. told the public prosecution that she grew scared when O.W. refused to drop her at her workplace after she refused his overtures.

"He told me that I didn't have to go to work and offered to pay me money to have sex and spend the day with him. He locked the car doors using the central locking system and changed direction towards Deira after I turned down his offer.

"He stopped in a public place and molested me... I pretended it was alright and asked him to drive me to work for a few minutes so I could clock in and return to him."

R.A. kept her purse in O.W.'s possession as a guarantee that she would return within five minutes.

"He molested me again before he allowed me to go... I briefed my compatriot supervisor on what had happened as soon as I entered the office," claimed R.A.

Her Filipino supervisor informed the police.