Man sends this WhatsApp message in UAE, gets community service

Abu Dhabi - He sent a message to his longtime friend.

A WhatsApp text a young man sent to his longtime friend describing him as the "dirtiest person" he knew after the pair had differences, has landed him into trouble.
An Abu Dhabi court has fined him Dh3,000 and ordered him to do community service for a month.
Official court documents stated that the Arab man sent his friend a text "You are the dirtiest person I know" through WhatsApp. It followed a dispute between the two young men who had been friends for a long time.
The victim had filed a complaint to authorities accusing his friend of sending him an abusive and insulting message. Prosecutors charged the Arab man with violating online law.
The defendant, who was married to two wives, had admitted to sending the abusive message to his friend claiming that it was out of anger because he caused break up of his family. The man told court that his friendship with the complainant had lasted for many years and had been there for him when everyone abandoned him.
"But I was surprised when my friend made up words that ignited heated arguments and jealousy between my two wives," said the defendant.
"This caused family disputes that resulted in one of my wives to divorce me."
He added: "The message I sent to him was just to blame him as a friend because of what he had done which caused me to lose one of my wives."
The man pleaded to court to be lenient on him stressing that he will never commit the crime again.
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance had earlier fined him Dh3,000 and ordered him to do community service for a month. He challenged the sentence to appellant court which has upheld the first ruling.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi