Inmate 'disabled in prison attack'

DUBAI // Three prisoners have been accused of assaulting a fellow inmate so badly he was left disabled.

An Emirati, KA, 30, and two Egyptians - AM, 25, and AS, 23 - were charged yesterday with beating a Bangladeshi taxi driver, leading to impaired vision in his right eye.

AM and AS were also charged in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance with insulting the man, AL, 26.

The three accused denied the charges.

A forensics report presented yesterday showed a blow to AL's head caused him double vision in his right eye.

Prosecution records show AL was involved in an altercation with AS over food in the canteen at Al Qusais police station on August 16 last year.

AL told prosecutors that after he went to his cell he told AM about the argument and was beaten.

"AM was my room-mate," he told prosecutors. "When I told him what happened, he punched me and hit me. AS joined in the beating until a prisoner broke up the fight and pulled me out of the cell."

Then KA attacked him and kicked him into the courtyard, where the other two men beat him again, prosecutors said.

The next hearing is scheduled for June 26.

amustafa@thenational.ae