Dubai: A visitor faces one year in jail for biting off a chunk of a fellow worker's finger and spitting it out onto the ground, after assaulting him in public.
The Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday convicted the 34-year-old Bangladeshi defendant of assaulting his 30-year-old compatriot, causing him a permanent disability.
Prosecutors accused 34-year-old, H.M., of causing permanent disability to 30-year-old S.T. after biting his middle finger and spitting out a part of it on a street in Satwa.
"I was not the only one who assaulted him. I am not guilty. It was a mutual assault and we exchanged blows. A group of bystanders intervened and stopped the fight," said H.M. when he pleaded innocent while defending himself before Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout. Yesterday's judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
According to the charge sheet, the defendant caused five per cent permanent disability to S.T.'s left hand after assaulting him. The claimant testified to prosecutors that the incident happened while he was standing in front of a mosque in Satwa.
"Without any prior notice, the defendant walked towards me directly and assaulted me ... he grabbed my shirt and punched me in my face.
"When I tried to defend myself and pushed him away with my left arm, he bit me. He bit off a chunk of my finger and spit it on the floor.
"Due to the gruesomeness of the situation and his rowdy behaviour, I lost self control ... and the accused turned his back and ran away," S.T. said in his prosecution statement.
Belongings
The claimant testified before prosecutors that he discovered that the suspect took some of his belongings.
"Later I realised that he stole my mobile phone, telephone SIM card and Dh3,000 cash ... the money was taken from my wallet," alleged S.T.
H.M. was quoted admitting to prosecutors that he assaulted the claimant and bit his finger. Medical reports confirmed that the victim now has a five per cent disability in his left hand.
