Dubai: A salesman will spend six months in jail for pouring benzene over a cash counter at a money exchange house and threatening to light a fire while attempting to rob the place.
The 52-year-old defendant from New Zealand, M.W., walked into the exchange house armed with a bottle full of benzene and a lighter in May 2014. Then he threatened to set the cash counter on fire while trying to coerce the cashier to hand over the money.
The Dubai Appeal Court upheld the primary ruling [six months’ imprisonment] against M.W., who had denied endangering peoples’ lives and attempting to rob the exchange house.
“The accused will be deported following the completion of his jail term,” said presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm.
Court records said M.W. drenched the counter with benzene as well as sprinkled it in the direction of the cashiers before he threatened to set the place on fire after demanding money.
However, the New Zealander rushed out of the place once the fire alarm system was activated by one of the cashiers.
Prosecutors accused M.W. of attempting to rob the place and intentionally endangering the lives of the cashiers.
A Filipino supervisor said the accused approached the counter and sprinkled benzene from the bottle that he carried. “Once I walked out of the fax room, I saw the defendant waving the lighter with one hand and sprinkling benzene with the other. He shouted that he wanted money. Then he sprinkled benzene near one of the tellers, but the staff did not get wet because of the protective glass. The defendant had a bag which he kept open and asked them to fill it with money. Once one of the staff pressed the emergency alarm button, the defendant ran away,” the Filipino said.
The fingerprints found at the crime scene matched those of M.W., according to records.
The defendant was quoted admitting that he entered the exchange house with the intent to commit a robbery.
He alleged that he purchased the benzene bottle from a nearby petrol station and parked his bicycle outside the exchange house, which he entered wearing a mask.
Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 30 days before the Cassation Court.