Man jailed in Dubai for flouting COVID-19 restrictions, assaulting policeman

Dubai: A man was sentenced to three months in jail for insulting and assaulting policemen on duty who had stopped him for not wearing a mask. A friend of the defendant, who also insulted the policemen on duty, was also handed the same sentence. Both will be deported after serving their sentence.

A Dubai Court of First Instance heard that according to records, in January this year, a policeman was on duty in the Naif area of Dubai when he stopped the 46-year-old Egyptian defendant for flouting the precautionary measures that had been put in place by the authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The defendant wasn’t wearing a mask and told the policeman that he was fined on an earlier occasion for not wearing a mask and that his ID had already been seized by the police.

“He wanted to pay the fine, but I told him that we were not authorised to collect fines,” said the 23-year-old policeman on record. The policeman further said that the defendant tried to escape, but was chased down by him. The defendant then accidentally hit a traffic post and was apprehended by Dubai Police personnel.

“He insulted and resisted us. He punched me and then threatened us,” the policeman said. He also said that he had noticed that the defendant’s friend was recording them on his mobile phone. “I asked him to hand over his phone, but he refused. He too insulted me and tried to escape, but we stopped him,” added the policeman on record.

Dubai Public Prosecution has charged the 46-year-old defendant with resisting arrest, insulting and assaulting policemen, while his 32-year-old Egyptian friend was charged with assaulting policemen on duty.