Salesman threatened to kill woman if she did not marry him, Dubai court hears

DUBAI // A salesman kidnapped a woman at knife point and threatened to kill her if she did not agree to marry him.

The Sudanese defendant, 34, denied charges of kidnap and issuing death threats when he appeared at the Dubai Criminal Court.

His Algerian victim, 30, said they had met about four months before the incident through a mutual friend.

“We exchanged numbers, hung out together and became good friends until he later told me he loved me and wanted to marry me but I politely refused and told him we were only friends,” said the woman.

She added that after the rejection, the man’s behaviour towards her changed and he began following her and calling repeatedly.

“He would follow me from and to work. On December 15 last year I was heading to my work when I saw him standing near the employees entrance” said the woman.

He asked to talk to her but when she declined he pushed her against a wall and threatened her with a knife. He then ordered her to get into his car and drove off.

“He pointed the blade at my neck then my waist and started screaming at me and threatening to kill me if I did not agree to marry him,” said the victim, adding that in order to calm him down she promised to answer his calls and meet with him.

She called police after the man had taken her back to her workplace.

The next hearing will be on August 30.