Emiratis deny attacking yacht boss after cruise

The young men were charged with attacking the supervisor, drinking on board, and beautifying the sin.

ABU DHABI // Four young Emirati have begun their appeal against their sentences for attacking a yacht supervisor at the Appeals Court on Monday.

The court heard that S Y, Z M, A J and M Y, all in their early 20s, had rented a yacht with a group of 20 people and went sailing at night.

During the cruise, they asked the captain to stop so they could swim in the sea, but the supervisor said it was not allowed.

When the captain spoke to the onshore supervisor he told them what they were doing, and was asked to return immediately.

“Some of us were still in the water, and the yacht started moving anyway,” said Z M.

“This is endangering others’ lives, the guys were already tired and should not be left out in the sea,” he added.

When they returned a quarrel broke out between one of the Emiratis and the supervisor.

“I was already in my car, how could I have attacked him?” argued Z M.

The supervisor then called the police and accused the four defendants of attacking him, drinking on board and beautifying the sin – a charge relating to romantic but non-sexual liaisons between two people who are not married or engaged to be married – with women during the cruise.

The men were found guilty of all three offences and given varied suspended sentences.

The men denied the charges at the Appeals Court and Z M requested an adjournment because his lawyer could not attend.

M Y’s father requested to speak in defence of his son and sad: “Just look at my son’s age, he is a student and never entered a police station before. On what basis was he convicted of drinking alcohol when the forensics lab showed nothing.

“And on what basis [was he] beautifying the sin when there was no girl with him.

“My son is young and he got scared and confessed, but later in court he kept denying it.

“They told him if he confessed he would pay Dh500 and leave the station,” added the father.

The case was adjourned until November 3.