Men involved in fatal flat burglary in Dubai get increased jail time

Indian pair have sentences increased from 10 to 15 years after tying and gagging man so tightly that he eventually suffocated.

DUBAI // Two of four thieves who tied up a man with duct tape, gagged and assaulted him and left him to die will serve 15 years in jail each after their sentences were increased from 10 on Sunday.

Police received a report of a dead man in a Naif flat and took a DNA sample from blood found at the scene.

It matched that of a 22-year-old Indian salesman, who was arrested. He told police that three other men, also Indian and aged between 22 and 28, asked him to take a part in a burglary, and they all met three days before the incident on April 26 and came up with a plan, said an Emirati police lieutenant.

The officer said the salesman gave the names of the other three. One was arrested but the other two left the country after the burglary.

The two admitted they went to the victim’s flat with their missing accomplices.

“The salesman said during questioning that he placed Vicks VapoRub ointment in the victim’s eyes then they restrained the man with duct tape from head to toe,” said the officer.

The victim, whose age and nationality were not given, was assaulted after removing a piece of cloth from his mouth and shouting for help. The men then gagged him tightly with more tape.

They fled after closing all of the windows and turning the TV up so loud that no one would hear his screams for help. The four then split the money stolen before two of them left the country.

“He told us his share was Dh10,000 and the other one Dh5,000, while he was asked by the two who fled the country to transfer their share of Dh30,000 to them in India,” the officer said.

Prosecutors said the victim suffered a fractured neck in the assault and was gagged so tightly that he eventually suffocated.

One of the two defendants who appeared in court denied a charge of premeditated murder, while the second denied aiding and abetting.

However, both were found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail each but prosecutors appealed asking for a tougher sentence.

Dubai Court of Appeal on Sunday increased their jail terms to 15 years each.

They will be deported after serving their prison sentences.