'We did NOT have sex on the beach - we were simply kissing and hugging,' British woman tells Dubai court

Michelle Palmer and fellow Briton Vince Acors face up to six years in jail if found guilty.

Miss Palmer, 36, a saleswoman from Oakham, Rutland, arrived in court dressed in a black trouser suit with an Arab-style scarf around her neck.

Michelle Palmer, left, denies having drunken sex with Vince Acors

She and Mr Acors, 34, a telecoms firm director from Bromley, Kent, have been unable to leave Dubai since their arrest on July 5.

Judge Ahmed Abdul Latif was told that Mr Acors had been on holiday in Dubai when he met Miss Palmer at an all-you-can-drink brunch party on July 4.

The couple spent the day drinking, before ending up on the city's public Jumeirah beach after nightfall. There, they allegedly started to have sex in front of local residents, who called police.

When officers asked them to stop, Miss Palmer allegedly threatened them, shouting: 'You can't arrest me. I'll sue you.'

Yesterday, the pair denied behaving indecently and having unmarried sex. However, they pleaded guilty to drinking alcohol.

Judge Abdul Latif ordered that the pair be released again on bail until September 2, when he is likely to deliver a verdict.

In her written statement to the court, Miss Palmer apologised for her actions, saying: 'It was just kissing and hugging. We did not have sex. I have spent two and a half years in Dubai  -  I know how it works. I am very, very sorry.'