Man jailed for staged crime, stealing iPhone

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A 28-year-old man was sentenced to three years in prison after orchestrating a staged robbery, stealing an iPhone 13 from a Gulf driver, and later selling it for just BD 10. The defendant’s plea for acquittal was rejected by the court.

The incident occurred in 2024 when the victim, lost while trying to find the King Fahd Causeway, sought help from the defendant and two accomplices. The defendant offered to guide the victim but instead lured him into a trap. He stopped his car in front of the victim’s vehicle, forcing him to halt. The trio then attacked the victim, with one accomplice taking the victim’s belongings while the defendant distracted him.

The victim managed to flee but was pursued by the assailants, who blocked his path again, leading to a collision. The men fled the scene, and a forensic examination of the victim’s car confirmed damage consistent with the crash. The victim’s clothes were also soiled, matching his account of the altercation.

The prosecution claimed the defendant sold the stolen iPhone 13 to a mobile phone store owner on July 2, 2024. The shopkeeper, suspicious of the phone’s locked state, questioned its origin. The defendant gave a false explanation, and the shopkeeper bought the phone for BD 10. Later, the store owner identified the defendant from a photograph.

Investigators tracked the stolen phone using tracing technology, confirming its sale to the shop. Video evidence showed the defendant handling and negotiating the sale of the phone. During questioning, the defendant admitted meeting the Gulf national but claimed he bought the phone from him, taking advantage of the victim’s intoxicated state, before reselling it.

Based on the victim’s testimony, the shop owner’s statement, video footage, photographs of the damaged vehicle, and the defendant’s admission, the court sentenced him to three years in prison for the robbery and sale of the stolen phone.