Dubai: A realty broker has been sentenced to three years in jail for fracturing a man’s skull by pounding his head with a fire extinguisher at a common friend’s birthday party.
The 45-year-old British broker, R.P., indulged in a heated argument and prevented the Emirati man and his two friends from entering the residence where the birthday party, that they had been invited to, was being held in February 2015.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted R.P. of pounding the Emirati on his head with the fire extinguisher and knocking him unconscious for a few minutes. The victim sustained a 80 per cent permanent disability.
Presiding judge Urfan Omar also fined the Briton Dh1,000 for consuming liquor.
“The accused will also have to pay Dh21,000 in temporary civil compensation to the victim and lawyers’ fees. He will be deported following the completion of his punishment,” said presiding judge Omar on Thursday.
The Briton had pleaded guilty in court.
The defendant assaulted the Emirati and caused him a 80 per cent permanent disability, according to records, in his forehead and skull and consumed alcohol.
When asked why he hit the victim with the fire extinguisher, R.P. claimed: “He assaulted me first and I beat him.”
The Emirati man said the incident happened when his two friends accompanied him to a hotel to attend their friend’s birthday party at 4am.
“The defendant answered the door when I rang the doorbell. When he opened the door, he asked me why I had brought uninvited friends. I explained to him that my friend already knew that I had two companions … he told us that attending the party is not free. Thereafter I took out my wallet, threw at him, and told him that I was willing to pay. He barred our entry. Then the accused suddenly opened the door and hit me on my head with the extinguisher. I lost consciousness for a few minutes and I only regained consciousness in my friend’s car. I was taken to hospital the next day where I had an operation,” he testified.
The person celebrating his birthday testified that he spotted R.P. assaulting his friend with the fire extinguisher.
“Initially my friend came at 11pm to my birthday party … the Briton claimed to me around midnight that my friend had slapped him. I told him I would resolve the dispute amicably and R.P. agreed. Some time later, I heard the doorbell … when I opened the door, my friend and his companions came in. My friend told me that R.P. had prevented them from entering the party … then suddenly R.P. assaulted my friend with a fire extinguisher. When I asked the defendant why he had assaulted my friend, he left without saying a word,” he claimed.
Thursday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
