Verdict in British expatriate's adultery trial in Dubai expected soon

Dubai: The final verdict in the adultery case of Marnie Pearce, a British expatriate woman, will be issued on January 22, according to the Dubai Appeal Court.

Pearce and her family had earlier told the international media that under Sharia it is "very easy to put a case of adultery against someone." She also described the law enforcement authorities as "barbaric" and said it has been a "terrible ordeal" for her.

The expatriate woman had converted to Islam in February of last year year. She was found guilty of adultery by the Dubai Court of First Instance and was sentenced to six months in jail on November 27 and deportation after being accused of cheating on her Egyptian husband.

Her lawyer told the Appeal Court that Pearce is innocent and her husband had made false accusations against her to gain custody of their children.

A senior police officer at Bur Dubai Police Station told Gulf News that there is another case against Pearce. He said they had received a complaint on October 22 from an Indian family living in Al Diyafah against four women who had broken into their brother's apartment while he was away.

Pearce was apparently among the group of women who broke into the apartment to help her friend, who was divorced and shut out of her apartment by her husband, to get her belongings. Pearce denied that she was questioned or arrested by the police.