3 on trial for robbery

dubai — Two Emirati brothers and an Iraqi faced charges of trespassing and robbery on Tuesday. The trio allegedly barged into a flat at night and threatened three female residents at knifepoint asking them to hand over their cash money and valuables.

The three, including a student and two unemployed are believed to have robbed about Dh10,000 in cash, as well as jewellery, expensive watches, a mobile phone, perfumes, and personal documents belonging to the women after allegedly forcibly entering their flat in Al Qusais on February 15.

One of the complainants, a 26-year-old Uzbek on a visit visa, said that the door bell rang at 7.30am and she thought it was the delivery boy from the nearby supermarket. “The moment I opened the door, two men rushed inside. One of them slapped me and pushed me down. Minutes later another man joined them.”

She said one of the defendants brought a knife from the kitchen while his accomplice was already carrying one. “They closed the windows and curtains. And one of them kept turning the light on and off to scare us.”

The intruders told the women to give their money and valuables which they put in a bag.

“They warned us that they would stay around the building for some time and watch us in case we tried to call for help. They threatened to kill us,” the Uzbek woman said. Her sister, 28, gave a similar statement.