Dubai: A manager has been fined Dh7,000 for getting drunk and punching a woman while she was clubbing with friends at a well-known nightclub following a heated argument.
The Iranian manager, A.J., punched the Spanish woman and made her bleed after a brawl over the dance floor of the nightclub at Shaikh Zayed Road in June 2014.
The Dubai Misdemeanours Court convicted the defendant of getting drunk and injuring the victim in her face after he assaulted her. He was fined Dh5,000 for the assault and Dh2,000 for drinking.
Meanwhile the civil lawsuit lodged by the Spanish victim’s lawyer Hamdan Al Shamsi was referred to the Dubai Civil Court.
Court records said the woman was on a night out with friends when the incident occurred on the dance floor. An eyewitness testified that he spotted the defendant who was drunk when he assaulted the woman in the face and injured her.
Advocate Al Shamsi argued before the court: “My client sustained physical, moral and material damages since she got injured by the defendant. She is seeking Dh21,000 in temporary compensation to be paid by the accused for the damage that he inflicted on her.”
When the defendant showed up in court, he admitted that he consumed liquor but denied the accusation of assaulting the victim.
Dubai police’s forensic report confirmed that the Spanish woman sustained injuries that were caused by the assault.
The presiding judge convicted the defendant of assault and getting drunk. His denial that he had punched the victim was discarded.
“The court deemed that the defendant had denied the assault charge in an attempt to evade punishment,” read the verdict sheet.
“My client will pursue the legal action against A.J. and [she] reserves her civil right to demand the compensatory amount that she deems suitable ... before the pertinent court,” argued advocate Al Shamsi, who asked the Misdemeanours Court to hand out a stern punishment.
Records said police were summoned to the nightclub for investigation shortly after the woman reported what had happened.
An investigating policeman testified that when he arrived at the club, he saw the complainant injured in her face.
“When I questioned the defendant at the location, he was drunk and he admitted that he had assaulted the woman,” the policeman said.
Records showed that when the defendant was summoned to the police station, he altered his statement and retracted his confession that he had assaulted the woman.
However, the defendant admitted that he had consumed liquor.
The Iranian was cited as admitting to prosecutors that he consumed three glasses of champagne.
The defendant has already appealed the primary ruling and is scheduled to stand trial before the Appeal Court later this month.
