Dubai detainee to pay Dh44,600 to repair damaged jail
Arson accused started fire in April 2014 after he was not allowed to smoke
Dubai: A detainee has been ordered to pay Dh44,600 to repair the damages he caused when he started a deliberate fire at a detention centre when he was banned from smoking.
The 31-year-old Emirati detainee deliberately set fire to his mattress at the police detention centre where he was being confined and risked detainees’ lives in April 2014.
The man burnt his mattress with a lighter and put it in the dining section before he threatened to set the whole police station on fire if he was not given cigarettes.
Primary interrogations exposed that the defendant had covered the CCTV cameras with newspapers before setting the place on fire.
The Dubai Court of First Instance also jailed the Emirati for six months over arson, risking lives of detainees and police personnel at the detention centre, threatening policemen and cursing them.
Presiding judge Urfan Omar also convicted the defendant of wrecking the detention centre on purpose and ordered him to pay for the repairs.
Records said the accused damaged the premises and threatened the policemen by saying ‘if you do not get me cigarettes I will burn the detention centre in the morning’.
The accused had pleaded not guilty.
A police lieutenant testified that he was the duty officer when a colleague informed him that the dining section of the police station was on fire at 4pm.
“I rushed towards the fire spot and discovered that the dining section was completely gutted by fire. Upon checking the surveillance cameras, it was discovered that the suspect had covered the CCTV cameras with newspapers before he set the mattress ablaze. The defendant had constantly threatened to set the place on fire if he was not given food and cigarettes,” the lieutenant told prosecutors.
Records did not mention why the case was referred to court after three years.
The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
