Man beats up prostitute in Dubai on way to hotel

Dubai - They both have been jailed.

A man and a prostitute, who fought over money in a cab on their way to a hotel, have been sentenced to six months in jail by the Dubai Court of First Instance.
The 25-year-old Saudi man was found guilty of stealing the woman's mobile phone and money worth Dh500, after physically assaulting her. The 21-year-old Moroccan woman, on the other hand, was convicted of working in prostitution.
The court ordered that the duo be deported after their jail terms are served.
A police corporal said the woman first claimed she did not know the man and that he just rode in the same cab without her consent.
"She said he grabbed her by the hand and told the driver to take them to his hotel. However, the surveillance cameras of the hotel where they were picked up showed that they had been together earlier that night.
"The man claimed he had paid her Dh2,000 to have sex with her. Following their dispute in the cab, he tried to get his money back to no avail. So, he took her mobile phones and Dh500 cash."
The incident was reported on January 9 at the Bur Dubai police station.
The Pakistani taxi driver said the two defendants were together when they were waiting in queue outside the hotel.
"The man wanted to go to the hotel where he was staying. Both were drunk and smelled of alcohol. As I reached Al Garhoud bridge, a fight between the two started. The man then slapped her on the face and punched her in the head, face and back. I pulled over to stop him from further assaulting the woman, and I called the police.
"Before the police arrived, I saw the defendant taking money from the woman's purse. I later heard the woman telling the police that he also stole her mobile phone."
A surveillance camera installed inside the cab confirmed the driver's statement. It captured how the duo assaulted each other and how the man stole from the woman.
The assault left the woman with shoulder scratches, pain in the chest and thigh, and a bruise on her forehead, according to a medical report.
Several WhatsApp messages between the two had proven their prior agreement to have sex in exchange of various amounts of money.
The ruling has been appealed.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai