Gold and pearl merchant awarded BD5,000 as damages in robbery case

TDT | Manama

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A gold and pearl merchant has been partially compensated after a civil lawsuit against two thieves who robbed his office. The merchant had initially sought BD1 million in damages, but a court awarded him only BD5,000 in non-pecuniary damages.

According to the court details, the merchant filed a civil suit demanding BD1 million in compensation for material and non-material losses resulting from the theft. The suit alleged that the defendants stole gold jewelry and pearls valued at BD1 million from the merchant’s office safe.

Claim

While some of the stolen items were recovered and returned to the merchant, the court found the plaintiff’s claim of BD1 million in damages insufficiently substantiated. One of the defendant’s lawyers argued that the lawsuit lacked evidence of the actual value of the stolen goods, noting that the merchant hadn’t provided detailed appraisals or bank statements to support his claim.

Furthermore, the merchant presented only outdated reports regarding the value of the pearls, and these reports did not specifically identify the stolen pearls.

Failure

The court also noted the merchant’s failure to request further means of proving the value of the stolen goods. The court ultimately ruled in favor of the merchant for BD5,000 in non-pecuniary damages, rejecting the remainder of his claim. Both parties were ordered to pay court costs and legal fees. The defendants had previously been convicted in a criminal court for the theft.