Man took up-skirt videos in grocery, court told

DUBAI // A man used his cell phone camera to covertly take pictures under women's skirts in grocery store, a court heard this morning.

As his four-year-old daughter waved at him from the gallery in the Criminal Court of First Instance, AA, 37, an Egyptian engineer, denied charges of sexually assaulting the women as they shopped at the Mall of the Emirates.

Prosecutors said that on March 13, AA, who has been in detention for three months, was reported by SM, a South African man, for taking pictures under his wife's skirt.

SM said his wife was wearing a short skirt, and as she stood in the checkout line, AA placed his shopping basket next to the woman's feet and looked at magazines on nearby shelves. He confronted AA and security was notified.

TB, a security guard, said that when he checked surveillance video from the store, he saw AA hiding something in his shoes after SM confronted him. TB found AA's phone memory card hidden in his shoes, and the card contained recordings of women's underwear.

TB called police and provided them the evidence.

AA's defence lawyer told the Dubai Court of First Instance that the man was the sole breadwinner for his wife and daughter and asked that the charge be reduced to a misdemeanour.

The next hearing will be on August 9.

salamir@thenational.ae