Dubai: Dubai's highest court has confirmed that a British woman, Marnie Pearce, committed adultery when it upheld a three-month imprisonment against her on Monday.
The Dubai Cassation Court rejected Pearce's appeal and confirmed the Appeals Court verdict, three months in prison followed by deportation.
The Court also confirmed that the accused will have to pay Dh20,000 in temporary compensation to her Egyptian husband. The husband's lawyer, Hamdi Al Sheewi, in a civil lawsuit filed against Pearce has accused her of cheating on her husband by having consensual sex with another man (who is still at large). He also claimed that his client incurred emotional and psychological damages.
The Public Prosecution charged Marnie with having consensual sex out of wedlock with another man. Since the beginning of the litigation process, she denied the charges and accused her husband of bringing the case against her maliciously "so he could win the custody of their two children".
The Dubai Misdemeanour Court earlier sentenced Pearce to six months in jail followed by deportation and ordered her to pay Dh20,000 in temporary compensation to her husband.
After she appealed the primary verdict, the Dubai Appeals Court confirmed the conviction but reduced her jail term to three months and deportation.
The criminal ruling has become irrevocable and it is believed that the case will move to the Dubai Civil Court to look into the husband's compensation claims.
