TOURIST JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AFTER ‘TOUCHING’ EXPAT IN NIGHTCLUB
▶ Jamie Harron’s case is the latest to involve Britons falling foul of the country’s laws while on holiday
A tourist accused of drunkenly touching a man at a bar in Dubai will serve three months in jail after being convicted by a court yesterday.
Jamie Harron, 27, from Scotland, was arrested after a German expatriate called police claiming he had patted his behind, then flashed his middle finger, the court heard.
The incident took place at a bar in the Barsha Heights district on July 15.
The victim, who is of Jordanian descent, told Dubai Criminal Court that when he questioned Harron about touching his behind, the accused flashed his middle finger.
“I didn’t say anything nor did I scream or insult him. I just called police who arrested him,” said the 49-year-old manager, who had not met the accused before.
Harron this month denied a charge of sexual assault.
He had previously denied charges in the Court of Misdemeanours of drinking alcohol without a licence and committing an act of public indecency by flashing his middle finger.
A 27-year-old mechanical engineer, who was a witness and a friend of Harron, told prosecutors that the Scotsman had not meant to offend the man, but confirmed that he did touch him.
“He was passing near the other man and accidentally touched his arm, then immediately apologised and patted him on his behind in a gesture that meant he was sorry,” the witness said.
The case has attracted widespread international media coverage and reports say Harron was on a two-day stopover in Dubai on his way back to Afghanistan, where he worked as an electrician.
Harron was publicly identified by his lawyers and spoke out to claim that he was walking through a crowded bar and accidentally touched the man as he tried to avoid spilling a drink.
The case was the latest in a series of incidents involving British nationals on holiday. Last month, another Briton was charged over raising his middle finger in a road rage incident.
Jamil Ahmed Mukadam, a 23-year-old information technology worker from Leicester, allegedly stuck his middle finger up at a driver while making his way to Dubai airport in a rental car in February.
Mr Mukadam is awaiting a case against him being brought to court.
Last week, British ambassador Philip Parham issued advice to visitors in light of the cases.
“Our travel advice for the UAE explains that local laws and customs are very different to those in the United Kingdom and that there may be serious penalties for doing something which may not be illegal in the UK,” he said last week.
“But we understand that, regardless of how prepared we all are, British people can still find themselves in difficult or distressing situations, and we are ready to help on those occasions.”
Harron did not appear in court for his verdict and did not have a lawyer representing him there.
But he can appeal against the conviction and sentence within two weeks.
Detained in Dubai, a legal group based in Britain, said on Twitter yesterday that Harron’s lawyers say they will appeal.
He will be deported after serving his sentence.
Harron did not appear in court for the verdict and had no lawyer representing him