All for a teddy bear

The student, 20, from Comoros Islands, will have the suspension of execution of the jail term for three years.

The case dates back to February when the student was stopped short of stealing the teddy bear from a shop near a shopping mall in Muraqqabat. A Pakistani worker, 26, said he saw the defendant stealing the toy through the window of a shop at about 1.30am, after the shop closed during the Dubai Shopping Festival.

The worker claimed that he was assaulted by the student when he tried to stop him.

A Pakistani guard who was in that area said he got a phone call from the worker that night asking for help.

The guard shortly later saw the worker lying on the ground with the defendant by his side. He knew that the teddy bear was stolen because part of its back was torn which showed that it was snatched by force.

mary@khaleejtimes.com