Appeals Court revokes muggers’ acquittal

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

Two members of a gang of street robbers who attacked a pedestrian at night with iron rods have seen their acquittal revoked by the Dubai Appeals Court..

The Asian dyer, 27, and tiler, 44, with the help of fugitive accomplices waylaid the Bangladeshi labourer, 32, and thumped him with iron rods at a street in Al Muhaisna area at around 1am on Mar.28.

They made off with his wallet containing two Nol cards and Dhs1, 370 plus a mobile phone. Both denied the charges during questioning at the Dubai Criminal Court. The Criminal Court acquitted them.

Prosecutors appealed the ruling and demanded a tough penalty. The Dubai Appeals Court has overturned their acquittal and sentenced them to three months behind bars to be followed by deportation.

On the record, the labourer went to visit a friend in Al Muhaisna. On his way home, he walked by a company’s barracks and saw six men including the above duo. They called upon him and he responded.

One of them told him to hand over his mobile phone. He refused. They suddenly pulled out metallic rods and started whacking him. They followed this with a barrage of punches. They forcibly took the mobile.

“They also snatched my wallet containing the cash and two Nol cards that I was using on public buses and fled,” he complained. A passerby found him languishing and helped contact the police.

During an identity parade, he recognised the dyer as one of the men who hit him with metallic rods and the tiler as one of those who rained punches on him. He complained that he sustained injuries.

A medical report showed he sustained a cut and bruises. A Bahraini police corporal said, “The labourer managed to notice the dyer and the tiler. He directed us to their residence. The dyer upon arrest testified against the tiler”

Records showed that four other gang members went o the run.