Dubai: A businessman has been accused of beating and threatening to harm a businesswoman after he thought that she had stolen the designs of the abayas he sells at Global Village.

The Jordanian businesswoman was said to be present at her booth that she manages at one of the clusters of Global Village and discussing business with a Syrian vendor in December. The 37-year-old Palestinian businessman came from behind, according to records, and beat her hard.

Then he grabbed her from her collar and pulled her off the chair before he threatened to slaughter her if she did not waive a criminal case that she had lodged against him earlier, said records.

The Syrian vendor instantly rushed to the rescue of the businesswoman and pushed the Palestinian man out of the booth.

During the scuffle, the businessman was also heard saying that even if he was imprisoned, he would get out of jail and kill the Jordanian woman.

Police apprehended the 37-year-old businessman soon after the assault.

Prosecutors charged the suspect with verbally threatening to slaughter the Jordanian woman if she did not drop her criminal complaint against him and assaulting her.

According to the accusation sheet, prosecutors said the suspect caused obvious bruises and injuries to the woman in her face and different parts of her body.

When he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Wednesday, the suspect admitted that he beat up the businesswoman. However, he denied threatening the woman and contended before presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi, “I did not mean to threaten her … but I intended to scare her in order to make her drop her complaint.”

When asked about his demands from the court, the suspect said, “I just want to complain against the policeman who questioned me. He handcuffed me and told me that he would put me in prison for life! Did he have the right to do so? I want him to be tried for what he did.”

“Did you inform the Public Prosecution about that?” presiding judge Al Shamsi asked the suspect.

“I do not remember, sir judge. This is not good for Dubai Police’s image. Dubai Police is one of the best and fairest police forces in the world. He did not have the right to say that he would jail me for life. It is the court that does so,” responded the suspect. Presiding judge Al Shamsi then asked the Palestinian suspect to submit a written complaint to the Public Prosecution for that purpose.

The Jordanian woman claimed to prosecutors that the suspect assaulted her brutally and threatened to slaughter her in front of the vendors and other witnesses.

“He took me by surprise from the back and beat me. He called me a magician and an arrogant person. He also insulted me before others when he said that I should repent otherwise he would slaughter me. He wanted me to waive my complaint against him,” she testified to prosecutors.

The Syrian vendor testified to prosecutors: “When I asked him why he assaulted her, the suspect alleged because she had taken the designs of the abayas he had been selling and she sold the same designs … the suspect told me that he was angry with her and just beat her.”

A ruling will be heard on March 11.