Woman convicted of attacking four people has case heard again

A woman's case has been transfered back to the Appeals Court as her conviction was decided without hearing evidence from defence witnesses.

ABU DHABI // A woman who attacked and insulted four others had her conviction examined by the Federal Supreme Court, as the defence witnesses were not heard by the lower courts.

The defendant was under trial at the Sharjah Criminal Court after she was accused of attacking the four victims in July 2013.

Prosecutors said she physically attacked them causing temporary injuries and insulted them verbally with phrases that breached their honour in front of others.

The First Instance Court sentenced her to three months in jail and a Dh5,000 fine.

She appealed the verdict and her jail term was suspended, but the fine was upheld.

She further cassated the verdict at the Supreme Court arguing that the lower courts based their conviction on the statements of the victims only, and despite her continuous requests to summon defence witnesses, they were never heard.

The court said she was raising a valid point because according to articles 165, 166 and 239 of the penal procedures code, criminal trials should be built based on oral investigations conducted by the court with the defendant, witnesses and so on.

“The defendant was determined in her defence in front of the Appeals Court to listen to defence witnesses who were present during the attack and insult incident, and that request was firm and she did not give it up,” explained the court.

The the Supreme Court accepted the cassation and transferred the case back to appeals.