Woman tricked would-be rapist into letting her go, Dubai court hears

DUBAI // A flight attendant tried to rape a woman at the Emirates Airline staff accommodation - but she tricked him into letting her go by saying she wanted to make herself look pretty first, a court heard today.

MH, 27, from Indonesia, invited the woman to his apartment to drink vodka on October 4 last year, becoming violent when she spurned his romantic advances, prosecutors told the Criminal Court.

"He started kissing me so I stopped him," recalled the woman, 29. She said she told him he was a "good, well-mannered", man and shouldn't be doing such a thing, but he grabbed her and carried her to his bedroom before throwing her on the bed and ripping off her shorts.

"I cried and resisted as he tried to rape me," said the woman, who reminded him that she was a friend of his girlfriend and kicked him in the chest, which infuriated him.

"He tried to force me into [a sex act] so I cooled down and pretended that I was willing to have sex with him but I needed to go to my apartment and tidy myself up to look better," said the woman.

As soon as the flight attendant let her go the woman called three friends to report the attack. Police were contacted and the man was arrested.

In court, the man denied a charge of attempted rape.

The case was adjourned to April 9.

The woman has been referred to the Misdemeanours Court on a charge of illegal consumption of alcohol.