JEDDAH: The Court of Cassation has upheld the six years’ imprisonment and 1,000 lashes handed down by a Jeddah court against a Saudi citizen who held a judge captive at his own home and robbed him of SR300,000 at gunpoint. The man, who is an AIDS patient, invited the judge to his house saying he sought the judge’s opinion on how to bring back his estranged wife — also an AIDS patient.
Argument ensued as soon as the judge entered the man’s house. The man cuffed the judge and asked him to pay a ransom of SR2 million for his release.
The judge refused to yield to his demand but after being threatened at gunpoint, he wrote a check for SR300,000 and handed it over to his captor.
Coming out of the criminal’s home, the judge took the matter to the police who immediately arrested the criminal. The man denied at first but when the check was found with him, he admitted his crime.
At the general court, the judge gave up his private rights. The man was sentenced to five years imprisonment and 500 lashes. For another crime of possessing drugs, he was given an additional year and 500 lashes.
The Court of Cassation subsequently upheld the Jeddah court’s verdict.
