KEY POINTS:
A New Zealand man arrested for allegedly groping a female passenger on a flight to Dubai was acquitted yesterday.
The Dubai Court of First Instance took little time to declare the 39-year-old real estate director not guilty, a local journalist told the Herald.
"The man didn't show up and he was acquitted," he said.
"The ruling is innocent, period, nothing more nothing less."
The man, released on bail after surrendering his passport this month to local authorities, is understood to be still in Dubai.
He was facing the possibility of a six-month jail term after the plaintiff said in a statement to the court that she was awakened when she felt the man's hand on her body two hours after the flight left Singapore.
The woman complained that the New Zealander was touching her breasts and running his hand up her thigh and allegedly moved the woman's hand so it was touching his groin.
She said she then ran down the aisle of the plane before falling to the floor crying and air stewards rushed to help her.
When the plane landed in Dubai for a stopover, the woman went to the airport police station and filed a complaint.
The journalist told the Herald the reasons for the man's acquittal would not become available from the court for at least three days.
The Gulf News website said the New Zealander had earlier told the public prosecutor the woman had "accidentally turned over and bumped into me while sleeping".
"I tried to carefully remove my arm and body but she woke up and accused me of touching her," he said.
"I didn't intend to touch her. I apologised to her."
