Man who threatened to kill flight attendant has jail sentence suspended

Palestinian threatened to kill a French flight attendant that he had borrowed money from, Dubai court hears.

DUBAI // A 28-year-old Palestinian man who was jailed for three months for threatening to kill a French flight attendant has had his sentence suspended.

At Dubai Criminal Court last May, T B denied a charge of issuing threats over the return of cheques he gave the woman as a guarantee for borrowing money. However, last August he was convicted and sent to jail to serve a three-month term, though he will now walk free, with his sentence suspended for three years.

The woman, L M, told prosecutors she met T B in April 2013, after which they became closer.

“But soon, he began borrowing money from me and he gave cheques signed by him in return,” said the flight attendant, adding that the threats started when she asked for her money back.

“He threatened to kill me and came to my residence. He threatened me over the phone. He told me that he will hunt me down and kill me,” she said.

The victim’s Moroccan flatmate, flight attendant N R, told prosecutors that she witnessed T B shouting at her friend in Ibn Battuta Mall in March last year.

She said the Palestinian also went to their house and banged on the door, shouting. “We called security,” said the friend.

L M then reported T B to police. Prosecutors said she had four cheques from him, totalling Dh5,100.

He appealed his sentence and Dubai Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered its suspension for three years, during which if he repeats the same offence towards anyone, he would serve another three months in addition to any further sentence for the new offence.