ABU DHABI // A knife and a plastic gun used by a Filipina in the attempted robbery of a money-exchange shop were shown to Abu Dhabi Criminal Court on Tuesday.
The defendant, whose residency visa had expired, confessed to the crime, saying she had needed the money to pay mounting debts. She also confessed to threatening to kill the employees if they did not give her the money.
The woman said she came up with the plan to rob the exchange on the same day of the incident last month. She had bought an abaya, a black face veil and a Dh25 toy gun from a grocery store, saying she did not want people to recognise her.
She also wore gloves to cover her fingerprints.
The court asked her to confirm the plastic gun was the one she used to threaten the employees of the shop.
She said the gun belonged to her and that she did not mean to hurt any of the employees. She said she only meant to use it as “a joke”.
Police also found a knife in the defendant’s purse, which she previously said she intended to use if she had to defend herself.
The case was adjourned until May 12, when her lawyers will present her defence.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae
