A supervisor, 56, who is accused of assaulting his roommate with a broken chair and chopping off part of the man’s finger told judges that he doesn't recall the incident.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that on August 4 last year the Sudanese victim, 37, woke up to the sound of music. He said: “It was late and I was exhausted from driving my taxi all day long. He didn't care. He was listening to music on his phone and it was loud. I told him to turn the music off, after which he left the room and I thought it was over.”
But, the driver said, seconds later the defendant entered the room carrying a broken chair with a sharp edge and began hitting him with it.
The Sudanese man shielded his head with his arms and, in the process, the tip of one of the fingers on his left hand was severed.
“He suddenly stopped and walked out of the room so I locked the door, but he returned and started banging on the door. At that point, I called police," said the driver.
Police apprehended the accused, from India, who was extremely intoxicated at the time and therefore did not give a testimony. During prosecution interrogations, he admitted charges of physical assault and consuming alcohol without a license.
In court on Thursday morning he said he can't remember the incident or any of the details. “I was informed of what I did when I was sober,” he said in court.
A medical report said that the Sudanese driver had been left with a 2 per cent permanent disability.
The next hearing will be on February 12.
