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Abu Dhabi expat teacher detained after lunch date with male friend

A view of Abu Dhabi court

An expat teacher in Abu Dhabi has been arrested for having lunch at the home of a man who was not her husband.

The British woman, who teaches in a suburb of the capital, has also been charged with drinking alcohol during the weekend meal.

The woman appeared at Abu Dhabi Misdemeanours Court yesterday, where she told a judge that she had only entered the Syrian man’s house after accompanying a male colleague there for lunch.

The court was told that the Syrian, who has also been detained, had thrown his wife out of the house last Thursday. She left and called police to complain that her husband had forced her out.

When police went to the house the next day to speak to the man they found the British woman enjoying an after-lunch drink with the accused and officers arrested the pair. They have been detained in custody since.

The court is today due to hear evidence from the teacher’s male colleague, who will testify that he invited the woman to the Syrian’s house and that the two defendants did not know each other before that meeting.

The male teacher had left the home before the police arrived.

Upon hearing that there was a woman in the house when police arrived, the Syrian man’s wife, who is the legal owner of the home, pressed charges against the British woman for entering her property without permission.

The Syrian wife has agreed to drop that charge but the British woman is still charged with drinking alcohol without a licence and being alone in the company of a man other than her husband or close relative.

The Syrian man has been charged with consuming drugs after an unknown illegal substance was allegedly found in his system when he underwent routine tests at the police station.

The case was adjourned until today to allow the Syrian to present medical evidence to show that he is taking prescription drugs.

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