Pal-turned-thief given 2-year jail

The Lower Criminal Court sentenced two persons to two years behind bars on grounds of robbery. 

The pair reportedly sneaked inside a villa in Hamad Town and stole valuables worth BD30,000. 

One of the accused, aged 32, was a close friend of the victim. The accused attempted the robbery, hoping his close relation with the victim would divert any suspicion from him, court files indicated.  

The villa wasn’t reportedly occupied at the time of the robbery as the owner was abroad, and his wife and children were in a relative’s house. 

The 32-year-old and his accomplice, aged 26, allegedly used the villa’s swimming pool before heading inside the house and stealing the valuables from safe box. 

The robbery was found by the wife, who went to the house to check if everything was fine inside. 

“When I arrived, I was shocked to see our belongings and the furniture displaced. The safe box was unlocked and everything inside was stolen. I immediately called my brother who came directly to the house,” the wife told prosecutor. 

Her brother examined the house, and found liquor bottles near the swimming pool. He recalled that the suspect was a friend of the victim and that he was fond of using their swimming pool. 

He then thought of a plan to find out if his suspicions were right.   

“I telephoned him and accused him of entering the house and robbing it. I was only trying to trap him to admit. He initially denied, but I told him there were security cameras inside the house and they caught him robbing the safe box. At that point he admitted that he was the culprit and promised to bring all the stolen items back,” the brother told prosecutors. 

The 32-year-old, after the phone conversation, went to the villa to return the stolen items. 

But police officers were also waiting for him there as the brother informed them about the incident.