Tunisian who took Briton hostage at knifepoint must see out prison sentence, court rules

DUBAI // A Tunisian jailed for three years for holding a British manager hostage at knifepoint has been told he must see out his sentence.

MS, 47, picked up his newspaper from outside his apartment in Al Warqa, leaving the door unlocked behind him in October last year.

As he sat down to read, OA appeared, bleeding from his hands and legs, Dubai Criminal Court was told at an earlier hearing. “I asked him what he wanted,” said MS. “He said someone had assaulted him and that he was scared.”

O A, 21, took MS to the kitchen and picked up a knife.

“He said his life was in danger and that he would kill me if I did not do as I was told,” MS said.

Both men then went to the balcony.

“He told me to check if he could jump, but I told him we were on the second floor,” the Briton said. “He then made me jump to the balcony of my neighbour.”

The men entered an apartment belonging to Emirati R A, 32, who locked himself, his wife and two children in a bedroom and called the police and his brother.

The Tunisian was in the kitchen with MA when then the brother and police arrived.

“He [O A] started saying that the British man had done no harm then he was convinced to open the door,” said RA’s brother, H A, 45,

OA was charged with locking up a person against his will. Records showed he had been involved in a fight over a woman.

He will be deported after serving his jail term.