Toilet escape attempt earns inmate three-month sentence

DUBAI // An unemployed man who attempted to escape detention by breaking through the wooden wall of a toilet will spend three months in prison, a court ruled.

The Indian RS, 30, was convicted in the Court of Misdemeanours of causing Dh500 in damage to public property of the police station. He is still awaiting a verdict on charges of running a brothel and overstaying his visa.

Prosecutors said RS was arrested in June on the brothel charges. ME, a police officer, testified that RS asked to use the toilet, which was attached to the station's detention centre.

Minutes after RS entered, ME said, he heard knocking on the wall of the toilet. He opened the door and saw RS had made an opening in the outside wall.

RS, however, said he entered the toilet about 1.30am on June 21 after becoming frightened by the other detainees. He said he simply locked himself inside on accident and started knocking gently to draw the guard's attention.

"When no one heard me, I broke the wall to get out of the toilet," he said in records.

He will be deported after serving his prison term.

salamir@thenational.ae