A man who hacked into a flight attendant's phone and threatened to defame her if she did not help him get a job at flydubai, where she works, will spend three months in jail.
The two met in November 2016 when the Egyptian woman was buying a phone and internet package from Etisalat in Sahara Mall, where the defendant, 30, worked.
"We became friends and he even met my son, but later he started flirting and told me he wanted to marry me. I said no, because I wasn't ready after my divorce," said the flight attendant, 33.
She said the accused – who is also Egyptian – began messaging and calling her often and once messaged her asking why she wasn't answering his calls when the lights in her room were on.
"It really scared me and I felt he was stalking me," the woman told prosecutors.
She said that in May, the man told her he lost his job and needed her help to get one at flydubai.
"I told him to apply through proper channels and that I would see what I could do about it," said the flight attendant.
The woman told prosecutors that in June she noticed the man following her around in his car. She said they argued and she asked him to stay out of her life, but he continued to stalk and call her.
"The next month he texted me that he hacked my phone and said he would use the pictures he found to defame me at work and among my family if didn't help him get the job," the woman said.
On September 22, she filed a complaint with police against her countryman, who was arrested soon after.
In Dubai Criminal Court last month, the accused denied a charge of issuing threats, and said the woman owed him money.
"It's not true, your honour. I want Dh40,000 from her and when she refused to give them back I told her that I will file a complaint against her with the police after which she will not see a good day in her life," the defendant said.
He showed judges a screenshot of a conversation with the flight attendant to back his claims.
On Tuesday, he was convicted and will be deported after serving his sentence.
