Dubai: An Emirati man went on trial for assaulting a policeman by closing the driver’s-side door on his hand, dragging him for 70 metres and running over his right leg, a Dubai Court of First Instance heard on Wednesday.
The unemployed defendant, 26, tried to escape arrest as he was caught smoking inside his car during the day in Ramadan. He slammed the door on the policeman’s right hand and drove his car for 70 metres, pulling the officer along, before running over his leg with the vehicle to escape.
On June 12 this year, the policeman, 32, was on duty in Al Ghusais area when he saw the defendant driving his car against traffic at 8:40am.
“He was smoking a cigarette during fasting hours in Ramadan. I checked the plate number and discovered that the car belong to a rental office but the registration was expired, so I stopped him. He smelled of cigarette smoke and was confused,” the policeman said in official records.
The defendant failed to show his driving licence, claiming that he had lost it.
“I saw empty needles on the rear seat and he couldn’t walk properly. I called the police command room and they informed me that he was wanted over a court order,” the policeman added.
However, when the policeman ordered the defendant to go with him to the police station, he refused, claiming he had to go home to his mother.
The defendant sat behind the wheel, while the policeman held the car door and asked him to step out.
Instead “he drove away and the door closed on my hand. He kept dragging me for 70 metres until I managed to free my hand and then he ran over my right leg and escaped,” the policeman said.
The policeman managed to return to his car and chased the defendant, blocked his way and called for back-up.
Other police patrols arrived and arrested the defendant, who confessed that he didn’t want to go to jail because he wanted to spend Eid with his family.
