A thieving taxi driver who assaulted a passenger and stole her Dh3,000 phone has been sentenced to three years in prison.
The 30-year-old Pakistani dragged the woman and her female friend out of his vehicle after one of the passengers was sick and the other objected to the cost of the fare.
The driver then bit one of the women on the shoulder before snatching her iPhone.
The incident took place on August 11 of last year after the two women hailed the taxi from Sheikh Zayed Road to take them to Barsha Heights, Dubai.
The victims - whose ages and nationality were not disclosed in court - managed to take down three digits of the taxi's number plate before heading to Al Barsha Police Station to report the crime.
Police later tracked down the man from among 45 other taxi drivers operating on the same route that day.
During questioning he denied an argument had taken place but a medical report from Rashid hospital confirmed one of the woman had a bite mark on the shoulder.
The defendant faced charges of theft and assault at Dubai Criminal Court.
He will be deported at the end of his jail term.
