Five men jailed for 10 years for assault

Dubai: The Dubai Court of First Instance has sentenced five men to 10 years imprisonment for assaulting three men, including a policeman, during a raid in a prostitution den in Dubai International City.

The defendants — three Vietnamese and two Chinese men — were also given an additional nine- month jail sentence for their involvement in the brothel's operation.

"The convicts will be deported following the completion of their jail terms," Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad said in courtroom four.

One of the defendants denied the charges. "I did not try to kill or attack anyone. Nothing connects me to that brothel," said the 37-year-old V.W. during the trial. Yesterday's judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.

How it happened

Prosecutors said the defendants ganged up on the policeman, identified as R.M., who was part of the team that raided the brothel. They also assaulted two Pakistani drivers, identified as S.F. and R.B., whom they thought were part of the raiding team.

"We stormed into the flat and found four Chinese women and four men — one Chinese and three Pakistanis [including S.F. and R.B.]. A group of Chinese men attacked us while taking the men into custody. They attacked us with sharp tools. One of them stabbed me right beneath my neck. They stabbed us on our hands and chests while we tried to avoid the stabbings. The Pakistani men were attacked as well. We ran away through the building's stairways. They chased us and stabbed us," the policeman said.