A man has been sentenced to six months in prison, followed by deportation, after being found guilty of stealing money that a woman raised to pay her baby’s hospital bills.
The Filipino man, 31, a hospital employee, stole the money in October last year.
The Nigerian mother, 26, raised Dh20,000 with the help of friends and family to pay for the neonatal care of her premature baby at a private hospital in Dubai's Al Raffa area.
“She was short of funds but raised the money with the support of family and friends,” said the woman’s brother-in-law.
The brother-in-law put a bag containing the money on a table at the hospital's reception and stepped out. When he returned, it was missing and he informed the hospital's security team.
CCTV footage showed the accused taking the bag, removing the money and dumping the bag in a bin.
Police were alerted and the man was arrested the next day. He denied the charge but was convicted by the Dubai Criminal Court.