Salesman convicted in absentia of molesting woman 

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) A Moroccan salesman was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison on Tuesday for molesting a woman after he barged into her apartment in the early hours.

The Court of First Instance panel, presided by Judge Al Saeed Bargouth, ordered the 26-year-old salesman be deported after serving his jail term.

He is also accused of stealing watches worth more than Dh35,000 and other belongings including different currencies and a camera from the woman's apartment.

He was intoxicated at the time of the incident on May 3 last year. He was charged with consuming liquor.

The complainant, a 31-year-old businesswoman, said during interrogation that she heard knocking on the door in her apartment in Hor Al Anz at 3am.

"The moment I opened the door, the defendant barged in, grabbed and dragged me by my hair inside."

She said the defendant was asking about her brother. "He said that my brother stole his girlfriend and that he wanted to have sex with me."

He then pushed her to a couch and tried to take her clothes off. She kept resisting and screaming at him as he molested her.

They heard someone knocking on the door and the defendant moved away from her but tried to silence her.

Before he left the place, he stole watches, currencies and a camera. He asked her not to call the police.

No phone calls were found to have been made between the salesman and the woman. That showed that the two were not in contact and not had a relationship as the defendant claimed.