• Home
• /
• Crime and Courts

Detainee awarded six more months in jail for suicide bid

A detainee was sentenced to six extra months in jail on Monday by the Court of First Instance for trying to commit suicide by setting the detention centre on fire.

---

---

According to prosecution records, the detainee, a 22-year-old Emirati, wanted to kill himself as he was frustrated with his broken relationship with his family.

The verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days at the Court of Appeal.

The accused was also upset as his request to be transferred from Al Foqaa detention centre to Bur Dubai detention centre was denied. It is believed that he was the only detainee at the detention centre at the time of the incident. He is accused of inflicting damages worth more than Dh69,000 on the detention centre.

He faced charges of arson, jeopardising police officers’ lives, damaging public property and suicide attempt.

An Emirati police lieutenant said he was on duty on August 4 last year when the defendant asked for a cigarette, but he was refused.

Shortly later, the officer saw smoke coming from the defendant’s cell.

He and other officers entered the cell and the smoke had by then become quite thick.

The defendant was at time in the toilet, and the officers carried him outside.

Damage was done to the walls, air conditioning, ceiling, bed sheets and lights at the detention centre. The lieutenant told the prosecution that it was not the first time that the detainee was trying to kill himself.

He had earlier tried to commit suicide by hanging himself and cutting his veins. His demand to be transferred to the Bur Dubai detention centre was also denied.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Crime and Courts