Bus driver tried to rape woman outside her home, Dubai court told

“I was waiting for my flatmate to throw down the gate card when a man surprised me from behind and attacked me,” said the victim.

DUBAI// A Pakistani bus driver got out of his vehicle to try to rape a woman he had spotted in the street, the criminal court heard on Monday.

A K, 25, bit the cheek of his victim, Tunisian sales manager S W, 27, but she managed to fight off his advances.

The court heard that on January 22, S W had been dropped outside her residence by the company car.

“I was waiting for my flatmate to throw down the gate card when a man surprised me from behind and attacked me,” said the manager.

She said she saw the Roads and Transport Authority bus pull up beside her but assumed it was on its usual route. A K grabbed her arm, wrestled her to the ground and bit her cheek.

But S W fought back so A K decided to rob her of her possessions, the court heard.

He got away with her sunglasses and two mobile phones.

She noted down the bus’s numberplate and called police.

Emirati policeman H H, 27, said during interrogation the driver admitted the charges of attempted rape, theft, consuming alcohol illegally, assault and using the company bus for illegal purposes.

In court on Monday, he only confessed to the alcohol charge and denied the rest of them.

“That didn’t happen. I took her stuff because she didn’t pay me. I told her I will give her back her stuff if she paid me,” he said, although he did not explain what the payment was for.

The next hearing will be on May 12 to appoint a lawyer for the defendant.