Dubai: A guard has been accused of stabbing a driver 10 times after he changed the bus’ departure from 4.30am to 4am to escape traffic.
The Jordanian bus driver was said to have asked the workers, whom he transports daily, to be in the bus 30 minutes later to avoid heavy traffic early in the morning in June 2015.
The Egyptian guard was the only worker who had complained over the change in the departure time of the bus, according to records, before he fought with the driver and stabbed him 10 times.
Swift medical intervention helped save the life of the driver, who was rushed to hospital for treatment.
Prosecutors accused the guard of attempting to kill the driver.
Last year, the Dubai Misdemeanours Court jailed the Egyptian defendant to two months in jail and fined him Dh5,000 for assaulting the bus driver and injuring him.
However, the case was referred back to the Public Prosecution that modified the accusation from assault and injury to attempted murder.
Prosecutors referred the suspect [after modifying the charges] to the Dubai Court of First Instance.
The Egyptian failed to show up before presiding judge Mohammad Jamal on Sunday and enter his plea.
The Jordanian claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened after he had informed the workers that the departure time of the bus had been changed. “The suspect was the only person who complained and criticised the decision … but I explained to him that it was the company’s management that had decided to change the timing to save 30 minutes and avoid early morning traffic. We were fine for a few days. One day I was waiting for the workers to board the bus and the suspect was standing there waiting for me. I went inside a market for a bit and then returned to the bus … he suddenly climbed into the bus and sat behind me. Then he asked me if I had called him a name in front of his brother … I told him that I did not say anything to his brother and that I do not know his brother. Then I asked him to leave the bus … when I stepped out, he took out a knife that he had hidden under his clothes and stabbed me repeatedly. I dropped down unconscious and only regained consciousness in the hospital,” the driver testified to prosecutors.
A Pakistani guard claimed to prosecutors that he called the police immediately when he spotted the suspect stabbing the victim.
A ruling in absentia will be heard against the suspect on January 10.
