Dubai: An Emirati man went on trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday after he was accused of physically assaulting a woman who entered the parking lot of a shopping center against traffic.
The 41-year-old Lebanese woman was in the parking lot of Mirdif City Centre when the incident occurred in August 2018. She claimed that she was inside the parking area when she accidently entered a lane that was against traffic. She stopped the car and then drove in reverse to return to the correct lane when the 43-year-old Emirati driver came in front and honked.
“I entered the road against traffic by mistake. When I noticed the mistake, I tried to fix it, when he came in his Lexus and used the horn many times which confused me. I lowered my window asking him to wait until I could reverse, but he yelled at me and insulted me,” said the Lebanese victim in records.
Shirt ‘ripped off’
She said she stepped out of the car to speak to him, but he continued insulting her. He stepped out and pushed her away before sitting behind the wheel of the victim’s car and parked it in a nearby parking lot. “I tried to record him using my mobile phone because I was afraid he would hit my car and escape, but he knocked me on the ground, assaulting me with his hands. He also held my hand, which was carrying the phone and twisted it,” the woman added.
She claimed that he ripped off her shirt. Two passersby intervened and the man fled the scene. “I suffered bruises and injuries in different parts of my body due to the assault. He broke my wrist and caused a three per cent permanent disability. I can’t use my hand properly and was fired from my job because I can’t finish my work due to the disability.”
Dubai Police arrested the driver later. An Emirati policeman testified that the woman was crying and wearing a shirt without sleeves as it had been ripped off. “She said that she tried to park her car, but the defendant didn’t give her a chance. She claimed he stopped his car in front of her before insulting and assaulting her,” the policeman said.
Surveillance cameras showed the defendant stepping outside his car, pushing the woman away, stepping into her car, reversing it to a parking lot and then escaping. “Three Emirati men witnessed the incident and said that the defendant assaulted the woman,” added the policeman.
Dubai Public Prosecution charged the defendant with physical assault and insulting the victim. The trial has been postponed to July 28.
