Dubai taxi sex expats appeal jail term claiming they were 'set up'

DUBAI // Two expatriates jailed for having sex on the back seat of a Dubai taxi were set up by the driver when they refused to pay him more money, a lawyer told the Appeals Court today.

Shaker Al Shammary said his clients - an Irish man and a British woman - were maliciously accused by the driver, who gave differing accounts to police and prosecutors.

"The driver told police a story then told the prosecutors a different story, both contradicting each other," said the lawyer, who is defending both CM, 27, a welder and RB, 29, a recruitment executive.

The pair were sentenced by the Misdemeanours Court in November to three months in prison each to be followed by deportation. They were found guilty on two charges: consensual sex charge and consuming alcohol without a licence. The pair admitted the alcohol charge, but denied the sex charge.

But Mr Al Shammary said that the driver made up his story to get money out of them and that his story contradicted that of the police officer who found them.

The police officer who approached the taxi when it stopped on Sheikh Zayed Road on May 4 said that he saw the woman without any underwear on, gyrating on top of the man, whose trousers were down to his knees.

However, Mr Al Shammary told the court that laboratory tests had found no evidence of sexual intercourse between the two.

A verdict is expected on February 5.

salamir@thenational.ae