Drunk Saudi assaulted policeman trying to arrest him on plane, Dubai court told

Drunken Saudi man fined Dh4,000 for ripping uniform of policeman who tried to remove him from airplane.

DUBAI// A drunk man boarded a flydubai flight to Saudi Arabia and then attacked his fellow passengers before assaulting a policeman who tried to arrest him, the Court of Misdemeanours was told on Monday.

The court heard that on July 8 last year, the Saudi national R M, 27, had just got on the plane at Dubai Airport when he started causing a scene and fighting with other passengers.

When a policeman tried to remove him from the aircraft, he swore at the officer, then resisted arrest by tearing his uniform and wrecking his taser gun.

On Monday, he was not in court to answer the charges of damaging property and of illegally consuming alcohol.

During interrogations, R M was also accused of attempting to commit suicide while he was locked up in a room at the airport by smashing a vase over his head.

He denied this, saying he must have fallen on the vase and broken it by mistake.

The suicide charge was not brought to court despite a forensic report confirming that R M had severe injuries to one of his wrists.

R M said he could not remember his actions on the airplane.

“I had one can of alcoholic drink and then went to my flight. I sat down but minutes later I saw police coming and they took me out of the place,” he said.

R M’s father testified in records that his son suffered from psychological issues.

“He loses his temper without a reason and imagines that the person in front of him wants to hurt him,” said the father, adding that his son was being treated for mental illness at a hospital in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi was convicted of both charges and fined Dh4,000.