Dubai: A drunken man has been sentenced to one year in prison after he refused to pay for a taxi ride, drove off the vehicle, smashed it into a villa and assaulted not just the taxi driver but two police officers as well.
Dubai Court of First Instance has charged the Moroccan defendant, 24, on several counts: consuming alcohol, drink driving, assaulting and insulting the officers, assaulting the taxi driver and damaging properties.
The Pakistani taxi driver testified that when he dropped off the accused in Mirdif, he had to wait for him to make the payment. “He went into a villa and I kept waiting. After some time, I stepped out of the taxi leaving the engine on as I wanted to look for him. I saw him near the villa damaging a parked car with a bicycle. I tried to stop him, but he assaulted me,” said the driver.
Moments later, the accused sped off in the taxi before smashing it into the entrance of another villa.
The taxi driver subsequently alerted the police. When the police arrived on the scene, the accused assaulted and insulted the two officers.
He has been accused of kicking the door of the police patrol vehicle as officers tried to get him inside.
The court found the defendant guilty of assault charges and sentenced him to a year in prison, to be followed by deportation. He has also been referred to the Misdemeanours Court in connection with the other charges.
