Dubai: A Dubai court has fined a cleaner Dh9,500 after he stole a concertgoer’s mobile phone — only to have the handset stolen from him the very same day.
The court found him guilty of unlawfully appropriating lost property with intent to keep it, ordering him to pay a Dh5,000 fine in addition to covering the phone’s value of Dh4,500.
The case began when an Asian man reported losing his Samsung handset while attending a musical show with his wife at a popular entertainment and shopping venue. Realising the phone had slipped from his pocket, he returned to the concert area but was unable to find it. He asked a cleaner about the missing device, but the worker misled him by claiming that a woman had picked it up and left.
Police investigations later identified the cleaner as the suspect. During questioning, he admitted taking the phone from beneath the victim’s chair and hiding it in his locker at the workers’ quarters. However, when he returned after his shift, he found that the handset had itself been stolen — apparently by someone else.
The court said its ruling was based on the suspect’s confession, witness testimony, and other supporting evidence, noting that he had no intention of handing the phone to the authorities. While convicting him, the court extended some leniency in sentencing, citing the unusual circumstances of the case.
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