Dubai: A security officer has been jailed for three months for punching his roommate and causing him a permanent disability after they scuffled over who pays the gas bill.
The 24-year-old Egyptian security officer, M.L., walked angrily into a supervisor’s officer and punched the 43-year-old watchman, M.M., his countryman, and cursed him and his family members in February 2014.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted M.L. of beating M.N. and causing him a two per cent permanent disability and cursing him.
The defendant pleaded innocent and denied assaulting his countryman.
The watchman said the issue of paying the gas bills had been lingering for some time between the co-workers, who shared the same residence.
“The defendant and his friends had forced a number of our roommates to leave the residence over the gas issue. They constantly created problems and bullied us. On the day when the assault took place, one of M.L.’s friends told me that it would be my last day in the residence because I had not paid my share of the gas bill. But I had paid my share a few days before the deadline especially because the bill was registered in M.L.’s name. When I went to the residence of the Indian supervisor to request that the bill be transferred to my name… the suspect stormed into the office. He punched me in the face and cursed me and my family… the supervisor was afraid to defend me because the defendant was angry,” M.N. claimed to prosecutors.
Records said the security guards restrained the defendant, who was taken into custody once the police were informed about the assault.
Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
