Tourist jailed for drunken assault on two Dubai cops

Dubai - He assaulted one of them with a liquor bottle and head-butted the other.

A tourist, who assaulted two on-duty police officers while resisting arrest, was sentenced to six months in jail by a Dubai court on Tuesday. According to public prosecution records, the 23-year-old Saudi national was drunk when he used force with the officers. He assaulted one of them with a liquor bottle and head-butted the other.

At the Court of First Instance, he faced the charges of assaulting on-duty police officers and verbally abusing them. He denied the assault charge in court, claiming he was too drunk to recall what happened on the day of incident. The court found him guilty and ordered his deportation.

The incident took place on August 26 and was reported at Al Barsha police station.

One of the police officers said during the public prosecution investigation they received a report about an incident in the Tecom area. "We went there and a female expatriate told us she spotted a man running while holding an alcohol bottle.

"It was clear he had been at a nearby hotel. He was running in my direction while being chased by his father and a security guard."

When the corporal tried to stop the defendant, the latter tried to hit him in the face with the bottle. "But I protected myself and got injured in my hand."

The defendant fiercely resisted the police officers, but was brought under control. "As I handcuffed him and was handing him over to my colleague, he intentionally head-butted him, causing him an eye injury," the corporal said.

The drunk man was then taken inside the patrol car.

The other policeman corroborated the testimony of the corporal. "He head-butted me and injured me under my eye," the officer told the prosecutor.

During the interrogation by the prosecution, the accused confessed he drank alcohol but claimed he could not remember what happened on the incident day.

The tourist can appeal the court ruling within 15 days.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai