Drunk businessman assaults Dubai cop, damages his uniform

A cabbie sought the officers' help as the businessman was sleeping in the cab and would not pay or leave.

A businessman has been charged at a Dubai court after he assaulted a police officer at a police station detention centre.
Public prosecution records show that the 42-year-old British man was drunk when he was caught by police officers on July 1 in Al Rigga, Al Muraqqabat. A cabbie sought the officers' help as the businessman was sleeping in the cab and would not pay or leave.
At the Dubai Court of First Instance, the businessman was accused of physically assaulting and verbally abusing an on-duty police officer, damaging public property and consuming alcohol without a permit.
A policeman said he was on patrol duty with a colleague in Al Rigga street in Al Muraqqabat at 8 am on July 1 when they saw a taxi driver screaming for help.
"We drove towards him and asked him what was wrong. He said the passenger would not step off the car or pay the fee. I tried to talk to the passenger and then noticed he was drunk. I asked him about his place and his name but he kept mocking us in his answers. He would not step off the cab when I told him to do so."
Even after taking him to the police station, the defendant kept talking disrespectfully to the officers.  "The taxi driver came to the police station. The defendant would not pay him the whole fee. As I told him to keep quiet and stop screaming, he kept saying abusive words so we were instructed to place him in detention. He would not let me handcuff him," the officer told the prosecutor. He added that the accused man damaged his uniform when he grabbed him by his neck. "He did not even pay the Dh 24.5 fee he owed to the taxi driver. He wanted to pay him Dh 10 only."
The other policeman gave a similar testimony during the public prosecution investigation. "We found the accused man sleeping in the taxi. I had to take him away from my colleague later when he grabbed him by his neck in the detention."
A medical report showed that the officer was left with minor neck scratches.
During investigation, the businessman admitted he had liquor drinks at a hotel prior to the incident without acquiring the necessary permit.
The trial will continue on September 19.
mary@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai