Three jailed for insulting police after Dubai Ramadan party

Chef, his wife and a friend each to be jailed for a month and deported for insulting police and resisting arrest during a drunken party at a Tecom apartment during Ramadan.

DUBAI// A hotel chef, his wife and their friend were this morning each jailed for a month to be followed by deportation for insulting police and resisting arrest during a party at an apartment during Ramadan.

CJ, 28, an Australian, his air hostess wife ZW, 26, from Burma, and their friend, JB, 30, also Australian, also admitted a charge of consuming alcohol and were each fined Dh1,000.

The three denied allegations of insulting and threatening police officers, claiming instead they were abused by officers, during a hearing at Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.

Police were called to an apartment in Tecom, Dubai, following complaints of loud music by a neighbour, RA, Judge Jamal AL Jubaili was told.

CJ, who works at a five-star hotel, and ZW told prosecutors they hosted a small party at their apartment and had consumed beer and vodka. They said they had invited friend JB and he had also brought bottles of beer.

When police arrived at 3am on August 20, they found JB drunk and he told them to go away using offensive language. A second police patrol was sent to the apartment and during their attempts to enter the apartment, JB fell to the floor and hit his head, the court heard.

An ambulance was called by police because JB's head was bleeding, records show. CJ and ZW opened the door and dragged him inside and then locked the door.

Police managed to get the defendants out of the apartment but they ran to RA's apartment and threatened him because he called the police, the court heard.

"We will make you pay for this shed blood," ZW said to RA, and police heard the threat. Records show her husband swore at police.

As police pulled them out of RA's apartment they resisted arrest and CJ raised his middle finger to a police officer then tore the officer's uniform, records show.

ZW told prosecutors she and her husband denied the police claims of insults.

JB said that police dragged him out of the apartment when he answered the door and put him in handcuffs, his testimony in records showed.

Prosecutors charged all three with illegal consumption of alcohol, tresspass into RA's apartment, and insulting police officers.
CJ and JB were both charged with physically assaulting police officers while CJ and his wife were separately charged with threatening RA.

CJ was charged with making an obscene gesture and damaging a police uniform.
Police officers YA, 22; SN, 25; MA, 23; and RD, 33 testified during prosecution investigations.

The sentences against the three are open to appeal.

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