A Dubai court has convicted a 32-year-old man of robbery after he punched another man in the face and forcibly snatched a gold-plated chain from his neck during a confrontation linked to a financial dispute.
According to court records, the victim was leaving an apartment where his family was staying in Dubai when he was suddenly approached by the defendant. Prosecutors said the man attacked him without warning, struck him in the face and then pulled the chain from his neck by force. The stolen chain was valued at around Dh700.
Defendant Was Carrying a Knife During the Incident
Investigations found that the defendant was carrying a knife at the time of the attack. Authorities said he used force to overpower the victim and stop him from resisting before taking the chain. The victim later reported the incident to Dubai Police, which launched an investigation into the robbery.
Police relied on surveillance camera footage, witness statements and evidence collected from the scene to establish what had happened and identify the suspect.
Police Investigation Led to Court Proceedings
After reviewing the evidence, police referred the suspect to the Public Prosecution, which then brought the case before the misdemeanour court. The court said the evidence showed that the defendant had used physical force to take the chain without the victim’s consent.
Judges noted that the assault was not separate from the theft, but was used to make the robbery possible. The court found that the defendant’s actions met the legal elements of robbery because he used force to overcome the victim’s resistance and seize his property.
Court Convicts Defendant of Robbery by Coercion
Based on the evidence presented, including surveillance footage and witness testimony, the court convicted the defendant of robbery by coercion. The ruling highlighted that the use of violence during the incident turned the act into a robbery case rather than a simple theft.
The case also shows how Dubai authorities use camera footage, witness accounts and scene evidence to build criminal cases and establish the sequence of events before trial.