TWO men looking for gay sex allegedly viciously beat and robbed an "effeminate" man they lured to an isolated area. They spotted the 37-year-old Saudi man and, thinking he looked gay, decided to have sex with him, the High Criminal Court heard.

But once they had lured him to an isolated area in the Central region, they changed their minds and he was beaten to the ground with a piece of wood and robbed of his mobile phone and credit cards.

A 24-year-old jobless Bahraini man has appeared in court charged with robbery, but the second attacker has yet to be traced.

The court adjourned the case until May 11, to appoint a lawyer for the defendant.

The victim, of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, told police that the attack happened after he went with the defendant to an isolated spot off a main road, last December.

He said the defendant suddenly picked up a piece of wood, beat him and then robbed him.

The victim identified the defendant from a police line-up of suspects, the court heard.

Police said the defendant and an unknown accomplice saw the victim and, thinking he looked effeminate, decided to lure him for sex. But they changed their minds and decided to rob him instead, said the police report.

aslam@gdn.com.bh