Man denies blackmailing ex-girlfriend with pictures, Dubai court hears

A man blackmailed his ex-girlfriend with pictures she gave him to show his mother, a court heard today.

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DUBAI // A man blackmailed his ex-girlfriend with pictures she gave him to show his mother, a court heard today.

HA, 24, and TS, 25, both Emiratis, fell in love after meeting in a shopping mall and planned to get married.

The girlfriend gave the man three pictures of herself to show his mother, but when the mother saw them she refused to approve their marriage plans.

"I ended the relationship and asked him to return my pictures but he demanded I pay him Dh1,500," recalled the girlfriend. "I did so but he did not give me the images and three days later he asked me to pay him another Dh200 and then a week later another Dh3500, which I also did."

He then stopped calling her, but a few months later he got back in touch and asked her for Dh25,000.

"I didn't have the money and when I told him I couldn't pay, he threatened to send the pictures to my family members," she said. She then reported him to police.

"He called me after the police contacted him and told me he was not afraid of the police. He said I should drop the complaint but I refused."

The man then visited her house and tried to show the pictures to her brothers.

"He did so to force me into paying him but I refused. Instead I went to Rashidiya police station and lodged an official complaint," said the girlfriend.

Prosecutors attached to the case file copies of the threatening text messages the man had sent to her.

In the Criminal Court the man denied blackmail but admitted making threats and abusing telecommunications.

A verdict is expected on July 14.

salamir@thenational.ae