UAE: Jail sentence for theft of 30 sheep suspended for three years
Doubts raised about number of sheep, owner's delay in reporting theft
Ras Al Khaimah: A 36-year-old man has had his sentence for allegedly stealing sheep suspended for three years by a court in Ras Al Khaimah after doubts were raised about the claims made against him.
He was initially sentenced to one year in prison and slapped a fine for the crime. The defendant’s legal team from Hanan Al Shmeili Law Firm filed a defence against this ruling.
The victim waived his rights and reached a settlement with the defendant, but the court ultimately dismissed it for lack of merit, and eventually the initial sentence was also suspended. The defendant was, however, ordered to pay legal fees.
Within the three years of the suspension of the sentence, if the same issue is presented before the court again, the defendant will have to serve out the initial sentence.
The case began when the victim, a 40-year-old Arab national, reported the theft after learning that three of his sheep were for sale at a livestock market. He provided details of the suspect’s vehicle to the shop owner. Investigations revealed that the accused allegedly had a history for similar offences.
Although the complainant claimed to have lost 30 sheep worth Dh50,000, he only reported the theft after discovering three were missing, failing to substantiate such a significant loss.
The defence argued that a loss of this magnitude would prompt immediate reporting, indicating the claim lacked credibility. Furthermore, a witness saw a worker feeding the sheep during the day, raising doubts about the theft’s occurrence in their presence.
Additionally, the complainant’s brother claimed to have seen two of the stolen sheep in the market, questioning how the complainant could identify them among many other sheep. This also weakened the basis for the theft accusation, it was reported.