DUBAI // A worker who was hired to do maintenance work at a villa stole maids’ lingerie to send to his wife, a Dubai court heard on Sunday. The Pakistani defendant, 26, is charged at Dubai Criminal Court with theft from the house in Al Barsha, which he denied. In October last year a Bahraini businessman, 47, hired the defendant and on December 22, his maids told him that their lingerie was missing. “They told me they suspected that the maintenance worker was stealing them because he was allowed into the laundry to get some rest,” said the homeowner. He said that he started watching the worker and noticed him stash items in his pocket before he left the house, then returned minutes later. “I called police at once,” the businessman said. _____________________________ <strong>Today in court</strong> ■ <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/20170205/three-on-trial-for-disposing-of-womans-body-after-dubai-brothel-owner-killed-her">Three on trial for 'disposing of woman's body after Dubai brothel-owner killed her'</a> ■ <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/unemployed-man-ran-over-leg-of-indian-he-owed-money-to-dubai-court-hears">Unemployed man 'ran over leg of Indian he owed money to', Dubai court hears</a> _____________________________ Police said the worker showed them where he hid the lingerie in the sand behind the house so he could pick it up when he left. Prosecutors said he confessed to stealing the items of underwear and keeping them in his room so he could send them to his wife overseas. The next hearing is scheduled for March 19. salamir@thenational.ae