Abu Dhabi court overrules acquittal of trio for beating up car cleaner

ABU DHABI // Three men who were found not guilty of beating up a car cleaner should not have been acquitted, the Cassation Court has ruled.

The court heard that the defendants, from Bangladesh, had attacked their victim, causing him cuts to his scalp, bleeding from his right ear and concussion.

The victim, also a Bangladeshi, only knew his attackers’ nicknames and reported these to police.

Two witnesses of the incident also gave police the three men’s nicknames and named them as the attackers.

Al Ruwais First Instance Court convicted the trio in absentia and sentenced them to ‎six months in jail, a Dh 5,000 fine and deportation.

The victim was also issued a Dh2,000 fine for washing cars without a licence.

The three men appealed against the conviction. They were acquitted because the conviction was based on their nicknames, which was not enough to convict them and prove they were the offenders.

Public prosecution appealed the acquittal at the Court of Cassation, arguing that all evidence and witnesses statements proved that the three defendants were the attackers.

This court agreed, saying that the trio only denied attacking the victim, but they did not deny the nicknames belonged to them.

Therefore, prosecution’s cassation was accepted and the case was bounced back for a new appeal hearing.