Tourist hits corporal with liquor bottle

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

An inebriated tourist who smacked a police officer with a liquor bottle and headbutted another told judges on Sunday he was too drunk to understand his actions.

The Arab defendant, 23, disputed with his father after abusing alcohol, hit the Yemeni corporal with the liquor bottle and headbutted the Emirati policeman in a standoff in front of a hotel in Tecom area.

He also – in the middle of the public – insulted that he could sexually assault both police officers on Aug.27, prosecutors explained to the Dubai Criminal Court. He denied the assault and insult charges.   

He contended he was not aware they were policemen. “I don’t even recall what happened. I was too drunk,” he said. The jury deferred the ruling till April 30.

On the record, the Dubai Police operations room received a complaint about a man wreaking havoc in the area. Police dispatched the corporal and policeman to put the situation under control. The corporal said, “Upon arrival, a female foreigner came and told me there was a man running around while brandishing a liquor bottle. I walked to the man whom I spotted running out of a hotel.

“I saw a guard and another man (who turned out to be the defendant’s father) running after him. I tried to intercept him. He waved the bottle to smash it in my face. I warded off the hit with my arm.”

The corporal complained that he sustained an arm injury but managed to seize him and foil his attempt to escape. “He posed fierce resistance. I finally pinned him down,” the corporal explained.

“I handcuffed him and the policeman arrived to take him. I was handing him over to the policeman when he suddenly headbutted him under the eye. We subdued and entered him in the patrol vehicle.”

The policeman during prosecution investigations said that during the scuffle, “The defendant deliberately assaulted me and struck below my eye with his head. I suffered an injury under the eye.”