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Dubai expat acquitted of groping female bum in bar
| Published: | 8 Nov at 6 PM |
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Following a 10-month battle in a Dubai court, an expat businessman has been acquitted of groping a young British woman in a local bar.
Steve Sheriff, an expat from Northern Ireland working in the emirate, had been accused of touching the 23-year old woman in a Dubai bar and was originally found guilty, even although the young lady concerned had subsequently withdrawn her accusation. On appeal, his sentence of six months in jail was cancelled and the charges dropped after a second judge found there was no evidence on which to base the conviction.
Sherriff’s nightmare began last February in a Dubai bar when he was knocked out and beaten up by the boyfriend of the girl he was accused of molesting. He says he has no recollection of what actually happened as he was knocked unconscious by the first punch and only came round when an ambulance arrived.
At that point, the man accused him of groping his girlfriend and the police became involved .After his arrest, the girl asked the police to drop the case, but the prosecution continued, leading to Sherriff’s conviction and sentencing, although lawyers advised him to appeal, resulting in his finally being cleared.
Although Sheriff is relieved it’s all over, he told reporters he’d been trapped in Dubai for six months, unable to leave because his passport had been confiscated. Clearing his name has cost him Dhs 100,000 in lawyers’ fees, and he has lost work as a result of the accusation and court case.
Steve Sheriff, an expat from Northern Ireland working in the emirate, had been accused of touching the 23-year old woman in a Dubai bar and was originally found guilty, even although the young lady concerned had subsequently withdrawn her accusation. On appeal, his sentence of six months in jail was cancelled and the charges dropped after a second judge found there was no evidence on which to base the conviction.
Sherriff’s nightmare began last February in a Dubai bar when he was knocked out and beaten up by the boyfriend of the girl he was accused of molesting. He says he has no recollection of what actually happened as he was knocked unconscious by the first punch and only came round when an ambulance arrived.
At that point, the man accused him of groping his girlfriend and the police became involved .After his arrest, the girl asked the police to drop the case, but the prosecution continued, leading to Sherriff’s conviction and sentencing, although lawyers advised him to appeal, resulting in his finally being cleared.
Although Sheriff is relieved it’s all over, he told reporters he’d been trapped in Dubai for six months, unable to leave because his passport had been confiscated. Clearing his name has cost him Dhs 100,000 in lawyers’ fees, and he has lost work as a result of the accusation and court case.
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