*** Bahraini Husband Sentenced for Stealing Wife's Bank Card | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Bahraini Husband Sentenced for Stealing Wife's Bank Card

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini husband has been sentenced to one year in prison for stealing his wife's bank card and withdrawing 190 Bahraini dinars. The High Criminal Court, however, suspended the sentence for three years, starting from the date the judgment becomes final.

This suspension is contingent upon the wife's withdrawal of her claims related to assault and phone damage, as per the argument presented by lawyer Aysha Janahi, the defendant's attorney. The latter submitted a memorandum including the wife's withdrawal of her personal claims against her husband, leading to the court's decision to suspend the sentence.

The case unfolded after a domestic dispute between the couple. The husband allegedly assaulted his wife, causing injuries documented in a medical report, and subsequently damaged her mobile phone.

The wife left the home and discovered the next day that her bank card was missing. She contacted her bank and learned that 190 dinars had been withdrawn from her account. The card was immediately blocked. The stolen funds were later returned after the wife's mother contacted the defendant's mother.

The court's decision, detailed in its ruling, stated that the evidence, including the wife's testimony, the husband's confession, the housekeeper's statement, the victim's bank statement, and the medical report, supported the charges.

The court considered the theft, unauthorised use of the electronic signature (bank card details), and fraudulent acquisition of funds as a single criminal act. The judge cited Article 66 of the Penal Code, which dictates sentencing based on the most serious charge.

However, given the circumstances of the case – a domestic dispute with the wife withdrawing her personal claims – the court showed leniency, reducing the sentence to one year and suspending it under Articles 81 and 83 of the Penal Code.