Man steals mobile, threatens to publish woman’s photos

A jobless man has been accused of blackmailing a woman to pay him Dh20,000 not to publish her private photos that he acquired from her Blackberry after stealing it. The 23-year-old Emirati woman claimed to prosecutors that her 24-year-old compatriot, M.R., stole her Blackberry Bold while she was in the washroom of her villa. Prosecutors charged M.R. with threatening to dishonour 23-year-old H.N. and to breach her privacy by publishing her private photos on the internet if she refused to pay him Dh20,000. He was also accused of stealing her aunt’s mobile phone and some other belongings. M.R. pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday. He strongly refuted the accusations claiming that he would not do such a thing to H.N. who he claims is his friend. “I left one mobile on the bed and took the other with me to the washroom… I received a phone call from my other mobile. I answered the call thinking it was one of my cousins. I heard someone imitating a baby’s voice before the caller hung up. When I walked out, I discovered that someone stole my other phone in addition to my handbag that contained my Blackberry. My aunt’s mobile was also robbed. Then I received SMSs from someone asking me to pay him Dh20,000 otherwise he would publish my photos that were saved on the Blackberry,” claimed H.N. Prosecution records said the woman cooperated with Dubai Police and lured the defendant who was arrested in a sting operation. Police convinced H.N. to talk the suspect into paying him Dh4,000 as first payment to return the Blackberry. The suspect’s lawyer will present her defence on June 20