Dubai: A jobless man lost his appeal and will be jailed for a year for conspiring with two others, trespassing into a businessman’s residence and stealing valuables worth Dh1 million.

The 47-year-old Sri Lankan man and his two countrymen, who remain at large, broke into the Emirati businessman’s villa and stole gold and jewellery in August 2015.

In November, the Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the 47-year-old for a year in jail.

The runaways were also sentenced in absentia to one year in jail each for breaking into the villa and stealing valuables.

The 47-year-old defendant appealed the judgement.

On Wednesday, presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm rejected the defendant’s appeal and upheld the primary judgement.

Records showed the trio used a screwdriver and a crowbar to break into the Emirati’s villa in Al Muhaisnah while he and his family were outside the country. They stole gold, jewellery and other valuables worth a total of Dh1 million from the villa.

The Emirati testified that his mother’s maid discovered the theft while he and his family were on holiday in Europe.

“My mother sent her maid to clean my residence and make it ready for us when we return from holiday. The maid discovered that my house had been broken into and robbed. My mother instantly sent my brother to check what had happened and what had been stolen. My brother discovered that the defendants had destroyed the safe and stolen our jewellery and valuables,” he testified.

A police sergeant said during questioning, the 47-year-old admitted that the runaway defendants flew in from Sri Lanka to burgle houses.

“He admitted that they had come from Sri Lanka to Dubai to break into empty houses and steal valuables. He alleged that they realised that the businessman’s house was empty after watching it for a while. The defendant further claimed that they jumped over the villa’s fence and opened the door using the screwdriver … then they used the crowbar to break the safe which they found on the first floor. He was apprehended at the Sharjah airport while attempting to leave the country while the other two absconded,” the sergeant testified.

The appellate ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.