DUBAI // A coffee shop manager denied assaulting and threatening a customer and claimed the customer broke his hand, a court heard this morning.
Prosecutors said a Lebanese man, MB, 37, got into a fight with two other defendants, MM, 22, from Egypt and SM, 23, an Emirati.
MM and SM are facing charges of assaulting MB and causing him a 5 per cent permanent disability while MB is charged with assaulting and threatening SM.
Police received a report at 1.40am on July 23 last year that a fight erupted in a coffee shop behind the American Hospital.
"There was a large crowd when we got there," said AS, a 42-year-old policeman.
MB said in court records that he noticed SM peeping at the women's toilets and asked him to leave but SM refused, which caused the fight.
SM denied the manager's version of the story and claimed that he was visiting the toilets when MB tried to kick him out of the cafe.
"He started pushing me towards the exit and a number of employees started beating me and MM," said SM in records.
MB denied the charges against and the two other defendants failed to appear in court today.
An Egyptian security guard testified that MM and SM wanted to get into the cafe but due to the lack of empty tables they were not allowed.
"A few minutes later SM asked to use the cafe's toilet," said the security guard, AA, 28. He added that about 10 minutes later he saw the Lebanese manager pushing SM outside.
"SM's friends came and attacked the manager," AA said.
The next hearing will be on July 22.
