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Britons guilty over sex on Dubai beach

16.10.2008 LISTEN
By ITN

Two Britons will appeal their three-month jail sentence after being found guilty of having sex on a Dubai beach.

Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south-east London, and Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, were not at Dubai's Court of First Instance to hear the guilty ruling.
Both defendants had pleaded innocent.
As well as jailing the pair, Judge Hamdi Abul Kharr fined them 1,000 dirhams (£157) and ordered their deportation.

The pair met on July 5 this year at a £60 all-you-can-drink champagne brunch. Hours later they were seen romping on Jumeirah Beach.
After the hearing, Hassam Matter, who represents Palmer and Acors, said: "We are making an appeal against the verdict. They haven't been arrested and taken into custody yet."

He added: "I have 15 days to appeal. I have to find the reason why the judge gave three months. They are innocent. They are at home (in Dubai). I have spoken to them. They are upset."

Mr Matter said they remain on bail and added that he is confident he has "a chance" of overturning the conviction. He said the appeal hearing would take place in the same building as Dubai's Court of First Instance.

Senior prosecutor Faisal Abdelmalek Ahli, who worked on the case, said he was disappointed at the length of sentence handed to Palmer and Acors.
"I'm not happy," he said, speaking outside court. "It's very light. It's normal for a sentence to be six months to a year for an offence such as this."
Mr Ahli said he did not think the prosecution would appeal over the sentence

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