DUBAI // A prisoner charged with insulting, assaulting, and threatening police officers at the Central Prison has been sentenced to a further two years in jail.
The 42-year-old Emirati prisoner, AR, refused to show up for his court date last week and was sentenced in absentia by the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.
MORE UAE NEWS: Our pick of today's top local news stories
Fake goods seized in EU from UAE fall to near zero Counterfeit items flowing from the UAE have dropped to near zero in the past year, officials say. Read article
Dubai police equipped to deal with 'any riots' Police say they are well equipped to deal with any civil unrest that may arise, citing their successful handling of 26 incidents last year. Read article
German tourist fined Dh2,000 for stealing licence plate Tourist who stole licence plate from car at Dubai hotel tells police it was 'a hobby'. Read article
[ MORE UAE NEWS ]
Prosecutors said AR had used force on two police officers, insulting them and threatening to kill one of them.
He also insulted a fellow Emirati inmate, ES, 30.
On April 10, AR visited the office of prisoner affairs and started screaming at a police officer, AA, before hitting him and trying to bite another officer, SB.
AR testified that he did not assault or insult anyone; on the contrary, he said, he was assaulted and insulted.
He said AA had refused several requests he submitted to the prisoner affairs office.
"I called the prison manager, who told me to go to Ward 3 and that he would look into my requests. But when I took my things out of the cell, SB saw me and ordered me to return the things or he would step on me."
He told prosecutors that SB grabbed him by his neck and threw him to the ground. Then, AR said, SB and AA assaulted him after restraining him.
"ES, who is the ward's [unofficial] supervisor, appeared suddenly when I was on the ground and started punching me," AR said.
ES said AR assaulted the police and when he intervened to calm AR down, AR insulted his mother, which made him lose his temper and hit him.
ES was convicted of assaulting AR and sentenced to a month in prison.
