DUBAI // A man who threatened his ex-girlfriend’s brother but said he only did so because he was depressed and on medication at the time must see out his three-month jail term, Dubai Court of Appeal has ruled.
Between January 2013 and August last year, Indian NJ, 30, demanded Dh22,000 from WK, 37, after sending threatening emails to him, his mother and uncle, stating that he had raped WK’s sister and that his mother was an alcoholic.
The defendant sent messages via WhatsApp messaging service and posted them on Facebook to shame the family.
The ex-girlfriend’s brother, who is also Indian, said that the defendant demanded the money to stop him from posting the messages on social media and sending them via email.
The defendant told the presiding judge that he was depressed at the time.
“I was in a relationship with his sister, she broke up with me and I got severely depressed. I was under treatment and I was taking medication when I made those threats,” he said before pleading guilty to a charge of issuing threats.
In May, Dubai Criminal Court sentenced NJ to three months in jail. He will be deported afterwards.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
