Britons accused of having sex on a Dubai beach sentenced to 3 months in jail

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - A British couple charged with having sex on the beach were sentenced to three months in jail Thursday in a case that has caused controversy in this Persian Gulf boom town.

The judge did not provide details about his verdict, as is customary in Dubai, so it was unclear which charges Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors were found guilty of: sex outside of marriage, public indecency or drunkenness.

Their lawyer, Hassan Matter, said: "I think the judge gave a small punishment for a kiss, not sex on the beach."

The couple could have received two years in prison if convicted of all the charges.

The two Britons, both in their 30s, met at an all-you-can-drink champagne brunch before the alleged incident occurred in July.

Matter said he would appeal. Both of the Britons previously admitted they were drunk but denied having sex.

The two were not in the courtroom Thursday to hear the verdict, and it was unclear whether they would remain out of prison while their lawyer appealed the case.

The case quickly became a morality tale set amid globalization and Dubai's skyline of sharp-angled, glittering high-rise buildings. The emirate is a financial hub in the Mideast, catering to tourists and multibillion-dollar business deals. But it is also an Islamic state straining to balance Western influence and wealth with religious traditions that forbid alcohol, unmarried sex and homosexuality.

Muslim conservatives have been saying that Dubai's openness to the West is corrupting society. This is especially sensitive given that foreigners, a mix of Western professionals and Asian laborers, make up 85 percent of the U.A.E. population of 5.6 million.