Dubai: An Emirati family is seeking Dh3 million in compensation from a Pakistani driver, who accidentally ran over and killed their son on Al Khail Road in 2006.

The Dubai Civil Court is looking into the civil compensation, which the family is claiming for its emotional, psychological and financial damages.

The 32-year-old Pakistani driver, M.K., had been sentenced to three years in jail, fined Dh3,000 and ordered to pay blood money to the family of the 24-year-old victim, K.A.

After the ruling became irrevocable, the family lodged its civil lawsuit against M.K. and the company where the minibus was insured.

"The deceased was a young and ambitious. Since he was a child, his dream was to serve his country as a policeman. After he attained his general secondary school certificate, he applied his papers to join Dubai Police Academy. He passed the required examinations and waited anxiously for his appointment … but the reckless and merciless driver came and accidentally killed him. The family suffered a massive tragedy and the mother collapsed and went into a coma for long days," said the family in its lawsuit.

Prior rulings

The defendants are expected to present their legal response before the Civil Court soon. The Dubai Court of Appeal had earlier reduced the primary verdict, 15 years in jail, to three years in jail after it found M.K., guilty of accidentally causing the Emirati man's death. The Appeals Court modified the premeditated murder charge to accidental death.

Earlier, the Court of First Instance had sentenced M.K. to fifteen years in jail after it found him guilty of deliberately running down K.A. and killing him following a road rage incident.

Charges denied

M.K. denied the charges and argued in his defence: "I didn't intend to kill the victim. I ran over him after he surprisingly walked in the middle of the road and in front of my vehicle … until I failed to avoid him."

The lawyer who defended M.K. before the criminal court argued: "May God bless the victim. My client was the victim in this incident. The deceased insistently and recklessly chased him and used his vehicle to block M.K.'s way."

M.K. will be deported after serving his punishment.