DUBAI // The appeal court has upheld the conviction of a shepherd sentenced to six months for attempted rape and attempted murder.
Dubai Criminal Court convicted the AA, a 37-year-old from Sudan, last October after hearing that he had tried to rape and kill HA, also from Sudan. He failed only because of her fierce resistance.
He met HA, 29, while shopping in Fareej Al Marar. After he helped her carry her grocery bags back to her flat, they exchanged phone numbers.
At 10pm on March 20, AA showed up at HA's door drunk. "I was sitting with my neighbour when he came and asked me to go with him to a night club but i refused and threw him out," said HA.
Five hours later he returned and barged into her flat. He begged her for sex, and when she refused he attacked her, punching her in the face and throwing her to the floor.
He then tried to rape her, but she resisted fiercely and bit him on his chest. He became angry, and stepped on her abdomen and kicked her hard in the head.
HA fainted for a few minutes and awoke up to see him coming at her with a knife. When she tried to run for the door, he dragged her by the leg as she clung on to the door knob.
He threatened to kill her, but she kicked his legs, knocking the knife out of his hand.
When she tried to call the police, he knocked the phone out of her hand and beat her until she lost consciousness. He had gone by the time she woke up, 15 minutes later.
A neighbour said she had been "bruised all over her face and body".
Following the completion of his prison term, AA will be deported.
salamir@thenational.ae
