Man threatened woman in Dubai via WhatsApp

Dubai: A man on Sunday went on trial for threatening a French woman to defame her in Dubai and Paris if she didn’t pay back Dh4,000 that her friend borrowed from him, a Dubai Court of First Instance heard.

According to official records, the 30-year-old French victim was leaving to her home country in September 2018, when she gave her car to her friend to use it when she was away.

After few days, the French defendant sent her a messages on WhatsApp that he took the car from her friend and she need to pay him Dh4,000.

“He send to me a clip for him and my friend inside my car. He took a copy of my personal pictures and passports, which was in my friend’s mobile phone and threatened to report my family about the relationship with my friend if I didn’t pay my friend’s debt to him, which was Dh4,000,” said the victim in records.

The defendant insulted the victim in the clip and on WhatsApp messages and threatened to defame her on social media and in front of her family.

She went to Bur Dubai police station and reported the incident.

The defendant confessed to threatening and using the victim’s car without her permission.

He damaged the side mirror and fuel pump of the car worth Dh3,000. However, he was free on bail during investigation, but later escaped to unknown place.

Dubai Public Prosecution charged the French man, who is still at large, with issuing online threats, insult, robbing three phones from the victim’s friend, using the victim’s car without her permission and damaging it.

A verdict will be issued on September 18.