Husband spots wife in another man’s car, fight ends in Dh51,000 payout

Abu Dhabi: A man who discovered his wife inside another man’s car and was later injured in a fight with the driver has been awarded Dh51,000 in compensation by an Abu Dhabi court.

According to Emarat Al Youm, the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court ordered the defendant to compensate the husband for material and moral damages arising from the confrontation. 

The claimant, an Asian national, told the court that the defendant had assaulted him and caused injuries documented in a medical report.

He also relied on an earlier criminal judgment in which the defendant was convicted of assault and the offence described under UAE law as promoting sin. 

The dispute began after the husband found his wife with the defendant inside his vehicle without a lawful marital relationship between them, according to the case record. A confrontation followed and escalated into a physical fight.

The criminal court had sentenced the defendant to two months in prison and fined him Dh10,000 for assault and Dh20,000 for promoting sin. The prison term was suspended for three years. 

In its reasoning, the civil court said the earlier criminal judgment had already established the defendant’s wrongdoing, leaving it to consider the resulting damage and whether it was directly connected to his actions.

The court found that the husband had incurred medical expenses and suffered physical pain, emotional distress and reputational harm.

It also considered the effect on his marriage and family, saying the conduct had disrespected the marital bond and social customs and had contributed to the breakdown of the marriage, with consequences for the couple’s children. 

The court ordered the defendant to pay Dh51,000 in material and moral compensation, as well as court fees and expenses.