Two students and manager cleared of mutual assault

The Court of First Instance has cleared two students of assaulting a restaurant manager. The assault had allegedly caused a permanent hand injury to the manager.

By Marie Nammour

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Published: Thu 6 Dec 2012, 9:33 AM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 11:36 AM

An Egyptian, identified as M.O. (22), and an Emirati, identified as S.M. (23), were acquitted of charges of involvement in a fight and assaulting a 37-year-old Lebanese restaurant manager, identified as M.B.

M.B. has also been acquitted of assaulting and threatening S.M.

The case dates back to July 2011, when the police were informed about a fight at a restaurant in Rafaa at around 1.40am.

M.B. told a police corporal that he was on duty at the restaurant when he saw S.M. in the ladies restroom. On trying to take S.M. out from the washroom, there ensued a physical fight that allegedly led to a fracture in M.B.’s hand.

But S.M. told the officer that he walked in the restaurant heading to the restroom and was surprised by M.B. pushing him and kicking him out. S.M. alleged that other staff came and beat him and his friend M.O. too.

The corporal added that M.B. was screaming loudly and threatening S.M., who was also nervous with torn clothes.

An Egyptian guard at the restaurant said that he did not let M.O., S.M. and another person come inside the restaurant on that night because there were no tables available.

The guard added that, however, later he allowed S.M. to use the restroom of the restaurant but minutes later, saw M.B. pushing S.M. outside. As the two were screaming loudly S.M.’s friends came and assaulted M.B., who then collapsed on S.M., the guard said.

The guard also said that other restaurant staff intervened to stop the defendants from assaulting each other.

M.O.’s brother said that he and M.O. saw M.B. pushing S.M. out and causing him to fall down. M.O.’s brother claimed that as they got closer to see what was going on, many restaurant staff members got out and gathered around M.B. and pushed, assaulted and verbally abused M.O and his brother.

mary@khaleejtimes.com