Dubai: A husband faces seven years in jail for deliberately setting fire to his wife's car and his sister-in-law's villa, causing Dh500,000 worth of damages, following financial disputes.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the 32-year-old unemployed Iraqi defendant, A.H., of arson, trespassing in his sister-in-law's villa and endangering the lives of his wife R.K. and a Yemeni policeman, Y.A., by trying to run them over with his wife's vehicle.

Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir sentenced A.H. in absentia to seven years in jail followed by deportation.

He was additionally accused of deliberately setting his wife's car on fire and destroying it.

R.K., a 27-year-old Iraqi, testified that she woke up around 1am when she spotted a strong light coming from her sister's villa while her sister was abroad.

Witness account

"Firstly, I didn't pay much attention until after fifteen minutes I heard a loud noise ... I went down and saw a police patrol at our gate. The policeman told me that my sister's house was burning. My family gathered immediately at my house ... then I heard somebody jumping inside my villa.

"Suddenly, we heard my car engine go on before the suspect drove it reverse, rammed into the gate and broke it then tried to run me and the policeman over.

"He took off speedily and police later informed me that they found my completely burnt vehicle in a sandy area nearby," the wife told prosecutors.

The Yemeni policeman testified that R.K. told him that her husband had just been released from prison and threatened to kill her and burn her villa.

An Emirati first corporal, who questioned A.H., testified: "He admitted that he committed the crime because he was angered by his wife's family because they took his money and wanted to dismiss him from his house."

According to the Criminal Procedures Law, a suspect has the right to contest any verdict, which is handed down in absentia, at the Public Prosecution's Criminal Rulings Execution Section and request a retrial.

Wednesday's judgment is still subject to appeal within 15 days.