A British couple have received three month jail sentences for having sex on a beach in Dubai.

Michelle Palmer, 36, and Vince Acors, 34, were found guilty of having sexual intercourse outside marriage and offending public decency. They were also fined £200 for drunkenness and ordered to be deported from Dubai on their release.

It had been feared that the two Britons might face several years in jail in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Friends of Ms Palmer – who maintains her innocence – told The Times yesterday that she was “not surprised” by the court’s decision.

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She denies having sex with Mr Acors and intends to appeal against the verdict as a “matter of principle”. She is desperate to return home to Oakham, Rutland, one friend said. She and Mr Acors, from Bromley, southeast London, remain free on bail but are barred from speaking directly to the press or leaving the country.

The couple’s case has become a symbol of a culture clash in the UAE that pits Dubai’s Western expatriate minority against the conservative Arab laws.

Analysts here say that their relatively light punishment was meant to strike a balance between sending a clear message that visitors must respect local laws and culture, and maintaining the UAE’s image of welcoming outsiders and their business.

In the past five years, Dubai has transformed itself into a global economic hub, luring foreigners with double-digit growth and a tax-free lifestyle.

Ms Palmer, who was sacked from her job as a publishing executive after her arrest in July, is a prime example of the young, single, ambitious professionals Dubai seeks to attract.

Her encounter with Mr Acors, who was visiting on business, began with a champagne brunch at a five-star hotel near the airport. They were arrested on a public beach later that night.

Ali Mohammed Yacoub, the policeman who arrested the pair, did not testify in court.

In a written statement, the officer reportedly said: “I was passing near Jumeirah Beach by the [hotel] Burj al-Arab when a couple of guys stopped the patrol car and said, ‘There is a guy having sex with a girl on the beach’. I took a torch and went down to the beach and saw them.”

The accused have denied having sex on a lounge chair on Jumeirah beach, with Ms Palmer saying that they were only “hugging and kissing”. She has also rejected rumours that she insulted Islam and abused the officer as he arrested her.

Ms Palmer said DNA evidence proved that they did not have sexual intercourse.

Pauline Crowe, chief executive of the British charity Prisoners Abroad, said that the case should serve as a warning to other travellers: “As this case illustrates, what may seem like an innocent act or misdemeanour in the UK can often land people in serious trouble when abroad.”

Neither defendant was in court yesterday to hear the verdict.

Ms Palmer is said to have been suffering from severe anxiety and depression since her arrest. She was excused from appearing in court for “medical” reasons, according to court documents.

She has blamed the press for spreading “lies” surrounding the circumstances of her arrest, and feared that intense media scrutiny would undermine her chance of a fair trial.

Asked earlier whether she believed she would ultimately win her freedom, Ms Palmer replied: “I honestly want this all to be over so I can just go home.”

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