Taxi driver threatened over fare, court told

Prosecutors say passenger pulled a knife after being told he must pay on the spot.

DUBAI // A carpenter threatened a taxi driver with a knife over a Dh50 fare, a court heard this morning.

Prosecutors charged the 46-year-old SP, from China, with threatening to commit a crime. He confessed to the charges before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance and awaits a verdict.

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About 2am on January 17, SP got into to a taxi on Bani Yas Road and told the driver to take him to the International City's Chinese cluster, records show.

SS, a Pakistani taxi driver, told prosectors he went there but SP seemed clueless about the location of his home.

"I stopped the car when the meter got to Dh50," SS testified.

SP said he would get the money from his apartment because he ddid not have his wallet, but SS insisted that he be paid immediately.

At that point, SP lost his temper and drew a knife, pointing it at SS's belly, prosecutors say.

"You want the money now?" SP allegedly told him in a threatening tone.

When SP got out of the taxi, SS called police, who arrested SP.

A Dubai police officer testified that SP had been drinking alcohol that night.

"When I searched him, I found a medium-size knife hidden under his left jacket sleeve," the officer said.