Woman accused of sending threatening text messages

Her lawyer claims the businesswoman was the victim of a malicious lawsuit.

DUBAI // A businesswoman in a legal battle with her former partner told the court today she had considered suicide because of the continuous struggles over the last three years.

The 33-year-old NF, from Morocco, is charged in the Criminal Court of First Instance with threatening AM, an Emirati, and his family.

According to prosecution, NF sent text messages to AM threatening to publish defamatory pictures and statements on Facebook about him, his wife and his sons and daughters.

But NF denied the charges, saying she had been involved in 11 criminal cases filed by AM since their partnership ended in 2008 and has been acquitted in every case. She added that AM had used an old passport copy of hers to get a mobile phone and send the messages himself.

"This is going to kill me, your honour. I just want to end my life, as this man will not stop," she told the judge.

"No one will die here today, God willing,"Judge Maher Al Mahdi responded.

Lawyer Saeed Al Ghailani, who represents NF, presented medical documents proving her mental and physical state. He also said AM had staged the case maliciously.

"The main evidentiary proof presented was the defendant's passport copy linking her to the telephone SIM card, your honour," he said. "NF had legally changed her name a year before the alleged crime was committed. This copy was present with the plaintiff since their business partnership days. Attached are records and copies proving our claim."

Court records also revealed that a previous case filed in September 2008 accused NF of the same charges. NF was acquitted.

The court will issue a verdict on October 30.