Beach sex couple's sentence suspended

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A United Arab Emirates judge has suspended the sentences against a British couple arrested in Dubai for having public sex on a beach, attorneys say.

The pair, Michelle Palmer, 36, of Rutland, and Vince Acors, 34, of southeast London, were convicted of having sex outside of marriage and of offending public decency in the July 5 incident, but had been free pending appeal, The Times of London reported.

On Tuesday, however, the judge in the case suspended their sentences, imposed a $250 fine, and said they were free to go, the pair's attorney said.

"The judge has canceled the jail. He refused the prosecution appeal (for the sentences to be increased)," Hassan Matter told The Times. "They are free. It's wonderful. The judge gave us a good hearing because he has a good heart and a good brain. He understood everything."

The case had brought worldwide attention to Dubai's strict Islamic modesty laws, which have caught many Western expatriates and tourists by surprise as they frequent the booming bar scene in what has become a Persian Gulf tourist haven.