BlackBerry Messenger stalker made woman crash into parked cars, Dubai court hears

Couple met on BlackBerry Messenger, but flirtation turned ugly when she rejected his marriage proposal, court told.

DUBAI // A young woman crashed into two parked cars while trying to escape from her admirer, a court has heard.

The Emirati bank employee’s troubles began six months ago when she started chatting on BlackBerry Messenger to M?M, 21, a soldier. Several months later, the soldier, also an Emirati, told the 23-year-old he wanted to marry her.

“I turned him down because much of his behaviour was unacceptable to me,” the woman told Dubai Criminal Court today.

She said that after the rejection he began to stalk her. On April 4 she saw him follow her as she walked to her car after work.

“This was not the first time,” she said. “I have seen him before in his car and chasing me.”

The soldier walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, the court heard. She told him not to touch her but he followed her to her car, insulting her family.

The soldier tried to stop her by sticking his body through an open window, she said. “I panicked and hit two parked cars.”

The women stopped her car and called the police, who issued her with two penalty tickets.

M?M denied sexually assaulting the woman by touching her shoulder and harassing her.

The court is scheduled to reconvene on July 2 to hear the testimony of witnesses.

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