DUBAI // A worker sentenced to six months in jail for stealing a gas cylinder and threatening to blow up the home of a man he borrowed money from will have to serve out his term.
Dubai Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld the sentence for P A, 26, from China, who, on January 3, broke the lock of a box where the gas cylinder was kept outside a restaurant in International City then headed to the man’s house.
A Chinese woman, M Z, 33, and her niece were at the home. “It was about 1.30am when the door knocked. My niece opened up and found a large gas cylinder at the doorstep,” M Z said.
The defendant then jumped in front of the cylinder and screamed at M Z and her niece. “He screamed loudly, threatening to burn me and my family by blowing up the cylinder if we asked him to repay money he owes,” M Z said.
The niece called police, who arrived and arrested the man.
Pakistani restaurant owner S R, 31, said: “I was informed of the theft and when I went to the restaurant I found police already there and they told me P A had stolen the cylinder and used it to threaten to kill some people.”
Police said P A confessed to charges of theft, damaging property and issuing threats to kill.
He will be deported after completing his sentence.
tzriqat@thenational.ae