DUBAI// Two unemployed men and a student broke into the apartment of three women and robbed them at knifepoint, the Criminal Court heard on Sunday.
Two Emiratis and one Iraqi, aged between 18 and 20, are charged with trespassing, issuing threats to kill and armed robbery.
In court they confessed to a theft charge but told the judges that they only stole three times.
Prosecutors said the men got away with several watches, three passports, three mobile phones, bottles of perfume, jewellery and cash.
The trio denied trespassing into the women’s apartment and threatening to kill them, however, they did not explain how they gained access to the residence.
The three Tajik women said they were cleaning their apartment in Al Qusais area on February 15 this year when at about 7.30pm the doorbell rang.
“I opened up without checking through the peephole because I thought it was the supermarket as I had just called and ordered some goods,” said one of the women, 26.
“When I opened, two men barged in and one of them slapped me and threw me to the floor,” she said, adding that a third joined them after a couple of minutes.
The men held knives to her and her two flatmates and ordered them to bring to them every valuable item they possess.
“One of them was turning the lights off and on to scare us and they pointed the knives to our necks as the three of us cried in fear,” she said.
The victims said they placed all their items in a bag, then the men threatened to kill them if they left the apartment or called police.
“They told us they will be watching closely,” said the second woman, 28.
Court records did not explain how the men were apprehended, but police said some of the stolen items were found on them at the time of arrest.
Prosecutors said the men confessed to all charges during interrogations.
A verdict is expected on April 13.
salamir@thenational.ae