High on drugs, motorist's jail term increased to 5 years in UAE after appeal

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High on drugs, motorists jail term increased to 5 years in UAE after appeal

Abu Dhabi - The man denied the charges throughout his trial.

by

Ismail Sebugwaawo

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Published: Tue 17 Sep 2019, 3:33 PM

Last updated: Tue 17 Sep 2019, 5:37 PM

A young motorist's one-year jail sentence for driving under the influence of drugs and assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest was increased to five years following appeal.
Official court documents stated that the officers in a patrol car spotted the Arab motorist in his 20s as he drove recklessly on one of the roads in Abu Dhabi.
When a police officer tried to arrest him for violating traffic rules, the driver beat him up. The cops, however, overpowered him. A medical report showed that the police officer sustained bruises due to the attack.
Prosecutors said when police officers checked the man's car after his arrest, they found hashish and psychotropic drugs inside it. The man's urine samples also tested positive for drugs. 
Prosecutors charged him for driving under the influence of drugs, possession of hashish and assaulting a cop. The man denied the charges throughout his trial.
The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance had earlier sentenced him to five years in jail after he was found guilty on all counts.
The Arab man challenged the verdict and the Appellate Court reduced his jail sentence to one year.
Prosecutors appealed to Abu Dhabi's top court stressing that there was an error in sentencing the young man when he was given a lighter prison term for charges of drug abuse and possession.
The Abu Dhabi Cassation Court then cancelled the ruling by the Appellate Court and upheld the sentence by the Criminal Court of First Instance.
The man will be deported after serving his jail sentence.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com


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