Dubai: A detainee has been charged with deliberately setting Al Qusais Police Station's lock up on fire and eating pieces of glass in a suicide attempt.

Prosecutors accused the 21-year-old Emirati detainee of arson, destroying police property and trying to kill himself out of emotional stress and endangering lives of other detainees.

When Presiding Judge Mohammad Majid Bel Abed summoned the suspect, M.M., to face charges at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday, jail wardens said the suspect was not brought from his lock up.

Endangerment

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors charged M.M. with life endangerment of detainees in Al Qusais Police Station's detention centre where he deliberately set three blankets on fire. He was also charged with swallowing pieces of glass in an attempt to kill himself. Prosecutors charged him with damaging three blankets worth Dh150.

Records show paramedic teams rushed to the scene and saved M.M.'s life.

A Somali police corporal testified that the incident happened after his supervisor informed him that the detention centre was on fire.

"I rushed ahead with my colleague and saw smoke ... out from a number of blankets which had been set on fire," he said.

He said he grabbed the fire extinguisher and attempted to put out the fire.

"Immediately we vacated the lock ups so that none of the detainees would suffocate. Then we summoned the police and civil defence who controlled the fire completely… preliminary investigations unveiled that the fire started in the suspect's cell," alleged the corporal in his statement during prosecution questioning.

The corporal said, according to his statement, that he questioned the suspect after the incident.

Bleeding

"While questioning him, I recognised that both of his hands were bleeding from the wrist."

He said the accused claimed he cut his wrists with a razor because he wanted to end his life. He alleged that M.M. claimed he was fed up and suffering mental stress and that pushed him to attempt to end his life.

The corporal continued: "The defendant also claimed during questioning that he collected the blankets and set them on fire because he had been placed in solitary confinement.

Unjust treatment

"He alleged that he had been treated unjustly and unfairly and for no reasons. And that's why he tried to kill himself, according to his statement".

Prosecution records quoted M.M. admitting that he tried to kill himself and endangered the lives of other detainees.

Presiding Judge Bel Abed adjourned the case until May 31 for the suspect to be brought from his detention.

Prosecutors have asked for the toughest punishment applicable against M.M.