Drunk man sexually assaulted neighbour, court hears

Saudi national crept into victim's apartment while she slept

A drunk man crept into his neighbour’s apartment and sexually assaulted her, Dubai Criminal court has heard.

The Saudi national, 56, pulled the woman’s hair, tore open her shirt and tried to kiss her in the sustained attack.

His shocked victim, from Morocco, described waking up with the man trying to force himself on her.

Only by fighting back did she manage to push him out of her room and lock the door.

“I was asleep and taken by surprise,” she said. “My first reaction was to scream out loud.

“I couldn’t loosen his grip on my hair and then he started hitting me on both arms because I was fighting back and trying to push him away from me.

“He forced himself on me and kissed me right between my neck and chest. I kept moving my head so he couldn’t get to my mouth.”

The court heard how the attack happened on the morning of August 3 last year.

The 33-year-old woman tried to reach to her mobile phone to call police but the accused snatched it out of her hand and smashed it on the floor.

When she finally managed to free herself, she pushed the man out of the room and locked the door. When she opened it 10 minutes later he had gone.

“I ran to the security guard and told him [what had happened],” she told the court.

“She was terrified and asked me to see CCTV footage but I told her I need an approval from the building’s management,” the guard said.

Police were called to the scene and arrest the man in his apartment in the same building.

He later apologised to his victim and offered to pay for the damage to her phone and clothes.

A verdict in the case is expected on February 27.