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| Sex-on-beach trial Britons guilty | Sex-on-beach trial Britons guilty |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A British man and woman have been sentenced to three months in jail in Dubai after being found guilty of having sex on a beach. | A British man and woman have been sentenced to three months in jail in Dubai after being found guilty of having sex on a beach. |
| Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, and Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south-east London, were arrested on 5 July. | Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, and Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south-east London, were arrested on 5 July. |
| They were fined 1,000 dirhams (£160; $350) and will be deported after serving their sentences. | They were fined 1,000 dirhams (£160; $350) and will be deported after serving their sentences. |
| Their lawyer says the pair will appeal against the verdict. | |
| A spokesman for the judge said Acors and Palmer would be jailed and then deported for the offences of unmarried sex and public indecency. | |
| He added that they had been fined for being drunk in a public place. | |
| "The sentence of three months is usual in these cases. We get many cases of this kind," he said. | |
| Acors and Palmer were not at Dubai's Court of First Instance to hear the ruling but had been ordered not to leave the emirate. | |
| 'Not happy' | 'Not happy' |
| Their defence lawyer Hassan Matter said the pair were upset but not surprised by the verdict. | Their defence lawyer Hassan Matter said the pair were upset but not surprised by the verdict. |
| "They are not guilty but they were prepared for this," he said | "They are not guilty but they were prepared for this," he said |
| He said he was hopeful the conviction would be overturned. | |
| "I think I have a chance in the appeal court. I have 15 days to appeal. I have to find the reason why the judge gave three months." | "I think I have a chance in the appeal court. I have 15 days to appeal. I have to find the reason why the judge gave three months." |
| Acors and Palmer will remain on bail until their appeal is heard at the court. | Acors and Palmer will remain on bail until their appeal is heard at the court. |
| Senior prosecutor Faisal Abdelmalek Ahli said he was disappointed at the length of sentence. | Senior prosecutor Faisal Abdelmalek Ahli said he was disappointed at the length of sentence. |
| "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." | "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 expected Acors and Palmer to serve their full three-month term in a Dubai prison. | Mr Ahli said he expected Acors and Palmer to serve their full three-month term in a Dubai prison. |
| "Sometimes people serve half their sentence, but this is so short I expect they will serve it all," he said. | "Sometimes people serve half their sentence, but this is so short I expect they will serve it all," he said. |
| 'Kissing and hugging' | 'Kissing and hugging' |
| The pair were arrested on Jumeirah Beach hours after meeting at a champagne brunch at Dubai's five-star Le Meridien hotel. | |
| A police officer told the court he had warned the pair about their inappropriate behaviour, but returned later to find them having sex on a sun lounger. | A police officer told the court he had warned the pair about their inappropriate behaviour, but returned later to find them having sex on a sun lounger. |
| Palmer, who was sacked from her job in Dubai as a publishing executive after her arrest, said in a statement she and Acors had been "just kissing and hugging". | Palmer, who was sacked from her job in Dubai as a publishing executive after her arrest, said in a statement she and Acors had been "just kissing and hugging". |
| Mr Matter said witness statements, including one from the police officer, were "wrong" and medical examinations had proved Palmer had not had sex on the beach. | Mr Matter said witness statements, including one from the police officer, were "wrong" and medical examinations had proved Palmer had not had sex on the beach. |
| Friends of Palmer say she has been admitted to hospital in recent weeks suffering from anxiety and depression. | Friends of Palmer say she has been admitted to hospital in recent weeks suffering from anxiety and depression. |
| The case has turned the spotlight on the lifestyle of the 120,000 British residents of the United Arab Emirates. | The case has turned the spotlight on the lifestyle of the 120,000 British residents of the United Arab Emirates. |
| The BBC's Christian Fraser, in Dubai, says there have been concerns lately that tourists are ignoring the emirate's strict Islamic laws and that the outcome of this case will be a warning that such drunken behaviour will not be tolerated in public. | The BBC's Christian Fraser, in Dubai, says there have been concerns lately that tourists are ignoring the emirate's strict Islamic laws and that the outcome of this case will be a warning that such drunken behaviour will not be tolerated in public. |
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| A guide to acceptable behaviour in Dubai |