Published in: Khaleej Times
A 45-year-old beautician, accused of threatening to tarnish a man’s reputation unless he paid her Dh1 million, has been sentenced to three months in jail. The Court also directed the authorities to deport the accused after her prison term.
The Dubai Criminal Court heard the case last Wednesday that the Polish defendant used sensitive personal information to extort the claimant, a 57-year-old Australian consultant with whom she had an intimate relationship.
According to records, the relationship between the two turned sour after the woman discovered that the man was married, leading to a confrontation where she demanded compensation.
“Despite my client’s payment of Dh300,000 in an attempt to maintain his family’s ignorance of the affair, the woman reportedly persisted in her threats,” said the man’s Emirati lawyer, Awatif Mohammad from Awatif Shoqi Advocates, during the court proceedings.
Court records show that the couple met in September 2022 and parted ways in March 2023 when the man decided to prioritise his marriage and family. “She waited for one month after they broke up and then started sending a series of disrespectful messages,” said the lawyer in court.
The beautician also made repeated calls and threatened to defame the man if he didn’t pay her Dh1 million. “She managed to obtain his wife’s, children’s, and other family members’ contact numbers and sent them intimate photographs of the couple,” the lawyer added.
The man reported her to the police in May last year. In addition to the criminal proceedings, the lawyer has filed a civil case demanding temporary compensation of Dh51,000 for the emotional damages inflicted upon the client, who feared losing his family and reputation.
The Criminal Court convicted the woman, sentencing her to three months in prison, followed by deportation. Additionally, it ordered the referral of the civil case to the Civil Court.
