DUBAI // A student threatened to kill a woman and her family if she refused to marry him, a court heard today.
Prosecutors said that MB, a 23-year-old Emirati, met the woman, his 19-year-old compatriot through Hotmail chat early in 2011. The student pretended to be female for about three months and persuaded the woman to give him her number.
However, when he called and she realised he was a man, she stopped taking his calls.
"I changed my number but somehow he managed to get the new one," said the woman. She said that the man kept calling and texting her for the next two months asking to meet her, but she always turned her down.
On one occasion he threatened her by saying: "If you don't marry me I will kill you and your sisters." He also threatened to burn their cars.
On a later date the student arrived on her doorstep drunk and rang the bell, but she refused to open the door. She then told her mother about her ordeal and the pair headed to Al Rashidiya police station to report the matter.
Prosecutors said the student had a criminal record featuring similar offences.
At the Criminal Court the student denied a charge of issuing threats.
A verdict is expected on December 18.