DUBAI // The five-year sentences handed down to two unemployed men for breaking into the apartment of five women, threatening them with swords and then robbing them, have been reduced on appeal.
The Filipina victims were in their living room on March 7 last year when four or five men broke open their front door. Two men stood guard with the women with swords pointed at their necks while the others ransacked the flat.
In June, Dubai Criminal Court convicted Emirati M A, 29, and Yemeni A M, 28, of armed robbery and sentenced each to five years in jail. The Yemeni will be deported after his jail term.
Prosecutors said they stole Dh19,800 in cash, US$100 (Dh367), an iPhone, a BlackBerry and jewellery.
Filipina victim N L, 27, said it was nearly 7pm when the men broke into the flat in Naif armed with two swords.
“Two of them took me and my flatmates to a room where they watched us and kept the swords to our necks while the others robbed the place,” she said.
N L ran into a room, locked herself in and tried to call police but the gang broke the door down and took the phone away, before continuing the robbery.
One of the gang bumped into the broken door as he left the flat, cutting his hand and leaving blood that led to his arrest, said policeman Q T, 32.
The Yemeni suspect was also found to be in the UAE illegally, having returned after a previous deportation.
Dubai Court of Appeal reduced both the jail terms to a year but upheld the deportation against A M. No reason was given for the sentence reduction.
salamir@thenational.ae
