DUBAI // A man accused of beating his wife claimed he merely pushed her after smelling alcohol on her breath, a court has heard.
Emirati S K, 29, pleaded not guilty to assaulting his British wife, and said that her bruising came from a fall after he pushed her.
He told prosecutors that on the morning of June 27 his wife R S, 28, left with a friend and returned about an hour later smelling of alcohol.
“When we argued she pushed me, so I pushed her back and she fell,” he said. “But afterwards we calmed down and talked it over, and she said she needed to see her father, who lives in the country.
“I left the house and upon my return she was not home, and the house was in a mess so I called police.”
The husband believed she accused him of assault because they were going through divorce proceedings in court and he had obtained a travel ban for their eight-month-old son.
The wife told prosecutors that she had been married to the defendant for two years.
“I was home on the day of the incident and we argued because I call him often when he is outside the house,” she said.
“The argument escalated and he punched me to the head, then dragged me by the hair, telling me he wanted a divorce.
“I refused, so he continued hitting me then wrapped his belt around my neck. At that point, I said I agreed to the divorce, so he let me go.”
She said he left the house but returned 20 minutes later to tell her to take her belongings and leave.
“He even told me to take our son with me and that he would be able to take him from me through the court,” said the wife, who then moved to her father’s house.
She admitted to pushing her husband but said it was a day before the assault took place.
A hospital report showed she had swelling on the back of her head, bruises on her wrists, shoulder and right eye, and scratches on her nose.
The next hearing has been scheduled by the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours for next Tuesday.
salamir@thenational.ae