A man who a woman in a chokehold, gagged her and stole her handbag, will serve six months in jail before being deported.
The 24-year-old Nigerian attacked his Filipina victim, 28, inside the lift of a building in the Chinese Cluster of International City at around 7pm on February 15 this year.
The woman said she had just returned from work and entered the lift of her apartment building when the defendant got into the lift with her.
"I pressed 2 and he pressed 4, and as the door closed, he grabbed me by the neck with one hand, and gagged me with another and when the lift reached the second floor he snatched my bag and fled as the door opened," said the woman.
The lift's door closed taking the woman to the fourth floor where she screamed for help. Some building tenants gathered and helped her contact police.
She told police her bag contained her identification cards, more than Dh2,600, her mobile phone and gold items worth Dh2,600 worth.
The man was arrested and identified by the victim at a police station.
In Dubai Criminal Court, the Nigerian denied charges of theft and physical assault but was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison followed by deportation.
