Man who threatened to burn down Dubai exchange house during robbery has sentence upheld

The man from New Zealand had cycled to the exchange house after filling a plastic bottle with petrol at a filling station and then threatened to set the place ablaze if he did not get money.

DUBAI // A man who sprayed petrol over the faces of staff at an exchange house during a robbery has had his six-month sentence upheld by Dubai Court of Appeal on Wednesday.

The New Zealander, M S, 52, sprayed the fuel over the workers and counters and threatened to set the place on fire if he was not handed money.

On May 1 last year the salesman walked into the money exchange place wearing a mask, gloves, cap and coat, while holding a bottle of petrol.

“I was coming out of the fax room when I saw him trying to spray more fuel in front of a second employee but he did not succeed because of the glass barrier,” said Filipino supervisor J P, 33.

Police were called and the man was arrested.

During interrogation, he confessed to prosecutors that he filled the plastic bottle at a petrol station, then cycled to the money exchange.

The items he used in the attempted robbery and his clothing were seized by police, the court heard.

The salesman was charged at Dubai Criminal Court last October with attempted robbery and endangering lives.

He will be deported after completing his jail term.