Cleaner to serve 6 months for rape

Dubai: A cleaner has been jailed for six months for having sex with his ex-girlfriend, who claimed he raped her and threatened to expose nude photographs of her if she reported the matter to the police.

The Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday found the 23-year-old Sri Lankan cleaner guilty of deceiving his ex-girlfriend, from Myanmar, and forcing her into a bus, which was parked beneath her building, and raping her.

Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad said the accused, N.R., will be deported after serving his jail term.

Prosecution records said N.R. lured the 24-year-old woman to a spot promising to return her pictures and forced her into a bus where he undressed and had sex with her.

‘Consensual'

"I am not guilty and I didn't rape her and she is my girlfriend and we had consensual sex in the bus," the accused said in his defence when he pleaded innocent in court.

The charges sheet said N.R. took naked pictures of his ex-girlfriend and threatened to make them public if she reported him to the police.

When Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad confronted him, N.R. replied: "She lodged a malicious complaint against me and as far as I know, she was willing to waive her complaint but she left the country."

Victim's account

Court records showed that the file contained the victim's waiver.

The victim, a waitress, had testified that she had become friends with the accused who worked with her in a coffee shop.

"We used to go out together…we also took pictures of ourselves hugging. Four months prior to the incident he asked to sleep with me after he confessed his love and willingness to marry me…I refused and broke up with him," claimed the waitress.

Her 30-year-old compatriot, also a waitress, confirmed that she spoke to the defendant on the telephone at around 3.30am.

"I phoned her because she was late and the accused answered my call and I heard her crying for help in our language," stated the witness.

The primary judgment is still subject to appeal within 15 days.