Couple plead not guilty to sex acts in Dubai taxi

An Irish man and a British woman accused of engaging in sexual activities in a Dubai taxi have pleaded not guilty, in the latest case of Westerners falling foul of the Gulf Arab emirate’s decency laws.

If convicted, the pair could face jail and then deportation from the United Arab Emirates, which walks a delicate line between keeping its Muslim identity and maintaining a successful tourism industry.

Conor McRedmond and Rebecca Blake denied charges of “breach of honour with consent” and committing “an indecent act in a taxi” when they appeared in court.

They pleaded guilty to a third charge related to consumption of alcohol, their lawyer said after the hearing, without elaborating.

The judge postponed the next hearing to Nov 1.

There have been several cases in recent years of Westerners accused of violating decency laws in Dubai — the most cosmopolitan of the seven- member United Arab Emirates federation.

In 2008, a British couple was found guilty of engaging in drunken sexual activity out of wedlock, and in public on a beach.

They were sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation, but had their jail terms overturned on appeal.

In 2010, a British couple were sentenced to a month in jail and fined for kissing on the mouth in a restaurant.

Expatriates comprise more than 90% of the United Arab Emirates population, attracted by tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.

Islam bans alcohol for Muslims. In the United Arab Emirates, non-Muslims can drink at certain hotels and beach bars where all-you-can- drink brunches heave with revellers every weekend.