Dubai student has jail term reduced for assaulting taxi driver

Emirati MA, 22, confessed to an assault charge but denied another of causing Dh500 of damage. He was sentenced to three months in jail and fined Dh500 by Dubai Criminal Court in August.

DUBAI// A student imprisoned for attacking a taxi driver with a wooden stick and damaging his cab has had his jail sentence reduced by Dubai Court of Appeal.

Emirati M A, 22, admitted the assault but denied causing Dh500 of damage. He was sentenced to three months in jail and fined Dh500 by Dubai Criminal Court in August.

However, his jail term was reduced by one month on appeal. He will still have to pay the fine.

At an earlier hearing Dubai Criminal Court was told at nearly 10.30pm on February 7 last year, M A tried to get into a taxi near Dragon Mart at International City.

“I told him to wait until I unlock the door but he continued pulling the handle so I told him to stop or else he will break it but he didn’t listen and punched me,” Pakistani cabbie K H, 40, told prosecutors.

M A started kicking the car then walked towards the driver, picked up a wooden stick from near a bin and waved it in the air to strike K H but was stopped by a number of men who were standing nearby.

“I then asked him why did he wanted to hit me in the first place, and instead of answering me he started punching and kicking me all over my body,” said the driver.

M A tried to run away but K H chased and caught him while other taxi drivers called police.

“As I was restraining him waiting for the police, he struck me on the face with his elbow,” said K H.

Police arrested M A while the driver was taken to Rashid Hospital where he was treated for a broken shoulder. A medical report said K H was left with a 5 per cent permanent disability.