Man dies after brawl with taxi driver

A man in police custody died of a suspected heart attack soon after he was arrested for fighting with a taxi driver, a court heard today. Hussein Ali was arrested on February 26 after fighting with a taxi driver near the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Deira. Police put Mr Ali into a patrol car after the arrest and he was discovered dead on arrival at Naif police station. The taxi driver, N, 44, who failed to turn up at the Dubai Criminal Court, has been charged with assault leading to death. He is facing up to 10 years in jail and a Dh250,000 blood money penalty. According to prosecutors, Mr Ali hailed M N's taxi and told him to simply 'go straight'. In his testimony, MN said he eventually asked Mr Ali to specify a destination, which led to an argument and to Mr Ali attacking him. When emergency services arrived, police found traces of blood around the vehicle. The ambulance driver told prosecutors that the passenger did not complain about any injuries and was released into police custody. A postmortem examination report from the police coroner stated that the death was caused by a coronary attack inflicted through psychological and physical stress. The report also stated that the passenger had an advanced heart condition that causes minor heart attacks. The court, which did not get a plea from the defendant, will issue its verdict on June 9. amustafa@thenational.ae