One-Year Jail for Man in TikTok Loan Dispute Turned Violent Robbery

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A 34-year-old Arab man has been sentenced to one year in prison, followed by deportation, after a financial dispute linked to a TikTok friendship escalated into robbery and assault.

The High Criminal Court ruled after a case involving a 30-year-old Bahraini woman and the defendant, whose online friendship later turned into a disagreement over a 750-dinar loan.

Prosecutors said the dispute intensified when the victim attempted to recover her money and retain evidence of the debt.

Audio

She had recorded the man admitting to owing her the amount, though she later deleted and recovered the audio.

The confrontation took place in Juffair, where the defendant allegedly attacked the woman in a public area.

He reportedly slapped her, threatened her with a knife, and forcibly took her iPhone 16 Pro Max in an attempt to delete the recording.

Assault

When the victim refused to unlock her phone, the assault escalated further before the suspect fled the scene with the device.

Investigations showed the stolen phone was later sold, and authorities recovered the weapon described in the case.

Records also indicated the defendant had prior accusations in similar cases. Although he denied the charges in court, evidence presented led to his conviction.