An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a man to pay Dh15,000 in compensation to a vehicle owner after being convicted in a previous criminal case and found responsible for damages resulting from the theft of the man's car in Al Ain.

The ruling was issued by the Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court on November 24, 2025.

According to court documents, the plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit after the defendant stole his vehicle and caused damages. The defendant had already been criminally convicted by Al Ain Public Prosecution, a verdict that was later upheld in an appeal case, and had become final after no challenges were filed before the Court of Cassation.

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Following the criminal verdict which had firmly established the defendant's responsibility for the theft, the civil court stated it was bound by the criminal court's findings, in line with Article 88 of the UAE Evidence Law, which gives criminal judgments binding authority over civil courts regarding the facts of the offence.

“The defendant's fault is established by the criminal judgment, which has binding authority in civil proceedings,” the court stated.

The court added that the defendant's actions constituted a wrongful act under Article 282 of the UAE Civil Transactions Law, which requires anyone who causes harm to compensate the injured party.

In assessing compensation, the court noted that material damage was done to the vehicle and the plaintiff suffered from emotional distress as well following the theft. The judge concluded that Dh15,000 was an appropriate figure to fully compensate the claimant.

The defendant was also ordered to pay court fees and legal costs.

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