Manager who kidnapped ex-girlfriend has jail term reduced

DUBAI // A 37-year-old man who broke into his ex-girlfriend’s house and kidnapped her after she broke up with him has had his jail term reduced. The Sri Lankan manager and four compatriots, aged between 26 and 43, forced their way into the woman’s home on January 22 and assaulted her and a man who was in her company. They then kidnapped her and locked her up. All five men denied charges of kidnap, confinement, trespassing, physical assault and damaging property when they appeared at Dubai Criminal Court in March. The manager denied a separate charge of threatening to kill the 26-year-old Sri Lankan victim. However, they were all found guilty and sentenced to one year in jail each. The woman told prosecutors that after she broke up with the accused, he came to her home and told her that he wanted her back in his life but, when she refused, he insulted and threatened to kill her. The manager and his friends, armed with sticks and knives, broke into the woman’s flat at dawn. He assaulted her and dragged her out of the apartment then shoved her into a car and drove to his flat, where he locked her up for three hours. The manager the charges in court. He said: “This is not true. I called her to arrange a meeting but she told me she was with someone. Then I went over thinking that he was keeping her by force; we didn’t assault or break anything.” The five suspects appealed their sentences, which were each reduced to three months, although Dubai Court of Appeal added a deportation order against all five of them. salamir@thenational.ae

Manager who kidnapped ex-girlfriend has jail term reduced

Sri Lankan and four friends rampaged into the woman’s flat armed with sticks and knives, assaulted her and then took her to his flat, where she was locked up for three hours, Dubai court hears.