Man jailed for sex assault on policeman

Briton will serve three months after incident at Dubai public beach.

DUBAI // A British educational-aid specialist was jailed yesterday for three months for sexually assaulting an on-duty policeman at Jumeirah Public Beach. The defendant, SH, was convicted of exposing himself and inappropriately groping the policeman early on the morning of October 10 after the Briton finished swimming.

The judge at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance ordered he be deported following his jail term. The 38-year-old Briton had pleaded not guilty at a hearing on December 6. He was initially charged with public indecency, but this was later elevated to sexual assault. The policeman told prosecutors that SH revealed his genitals at the beach and inappropriately groped him at 3am on a Saturday.

The 27-year-old officer from the police's Ports Station told prosecutors he had been on duty at the public beach. The defendant swam towards him while he was patrolling, and asked him about his nationality. "I told him 'I am from Dubai' when he asked me but then he came out and touched my private parts," said the policeman, who then pushed away the man and attempted to reveal his police identification.

The Briton was taken to the Dubai Ports police station and charged. According to the indictment sheet, the defendant admitted guilt to prosecutors. Recently, the Dubai Police revealed that 6,385 offences were recorded in 2009 on Dubai's beaches. These ranged from indecent exposure to sexual assaults. In 2008, a British man and woman made headlines around the world when they were convicted of having sex on a beach in Dubai. Their case and other examples of lewd beach behaviour prompted the police to increase security patrols and floodlighting on the emirate's shoreline.