Dubai: A witness stunned a court on Thursday when he testified that a sex worker was not thrown from a hotel bedroom but she jumped on her own.
Defending himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance, a 37-year-old British salesman, Z.A., had denied the charge of throwing the 36-year-old Ukrainian sex worker, A.K., and causing her permanent disability.
However during Thursday's hearing, a prosecution witness claimed that A.K. informed him that she threw herself from the hotel room's window to escape from the Briton.
When asked by A.K.'s lawyer Ali Abdul Al Shamsi on whether A.K. jumped on her own or that she was thrown, the witness told the court: "A.K. told me that she jumped on her own and that she was not thrown. She said she jumped off the window because she was afraid of Z.A. wanting to kill her."
Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad heard two witnesses during Thursday's hearing and refused to hear a third witness because he did not carry any personal identification documents to identify himself before the court. The latter was the person who had rented the room where the incident happened.
Advocate Al Shamsi told the court yesterday: "We would like to question the second suspect, A.K., in her capacity as a prosecution witness and victim."
A.K.'s lawyer lodged a civil lawsuit against Z.A. and she is seeking Dh20,000 in temporary compensation against her alleged damages.
Al Shamsi also asked the judge to dismiss the civil lawsuit.
Prosecutors charged Z.A. with getting drunk and causing 30 per cent permanent disability to the Ukrainian sex worker after throwing her from the window.
Z.A. and A.K. were charged with having consensual sex. The woman was charged with working as a prostitute.
An Indian receptionist testified that seconds after A.K. landed on the top of a car in front of the hotel, she walked naked into the reception crying for help.
"She was petrified and hurt… she was completely naked and asked me to call the rescue teams. She said a crazy man threw her from the window of Room 105," the receptionist told prosecutors.
An Emirati policeman testified that Z.A. pushed A.K. out the window after she not only refused to continue having sex but proceeded to quarrel with him over her fees.
"No I didn't have sex with her. I consumed alcohol," Z.A. argued in court.
A.K. also pleaded not guilty after she failed to appear in court the first two hearings.
Prosecutors said A.K. worked as a prostitute and slept with Z.A. for Dh500. The Briton was charged with assaulting the Ukrainian woman, resulting in her suffering 30 per cent permanent disability to her spinal cord.
He was additionally charged with having sex with A.K. while he was under the influence of liquor. The two were said to have met in a club before the moved on the hotel before the incident took place.
The trial continues.
