A Gulf national has been sentenced, in absentia, to five years in jail for robbing a taxi driver, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported.

A Doha Criminal Court has also imposed a fine of QR3,000 on him for carrying a weapon without any justification, the report adds.

According to the details of the case, a police patrol brought the accused to Al Rayyan police station after receiving information that a Nepalese taxi driver had allegedly been robbed of his wallet and assaulted by him and two others, the report explains.

The victim said the first accused boarded his taxi and asked him to take him to the Al Sailiya area. On the way, he asked the driver to stop the car at a certain place, where two other persons joined them. Then, one of the three passengers ordered the driver to stop again and allegedly hit him several times while another man tied him up and took his wallet, according to the report.

While the first accused stayed back in the car until the police arrived, the other two fled. The driver said his wallet contained QR600, cards and some currency notes of Nepal and the Philippines.

The police found a knife on the first accused, who admitted that it was his and that he – and two others - had robbed the taxi driver. He, however, claimed that he did not know who the other two persons were, the report states.

The Public Prosecution told the court that the Gulf national and two unknown persons robbed the taxi driver. The first accused was also carrying a weapon without any justification and confessed to the court that he and the two others had committed the robbery, it adds.

The Criminal Court then sentenced the Gulf national – in absentia - to  five years in jail and also decided to fine him.

Meanwhile, a medical examination showed that there were no signs of assault on the driver, the report states.