A 26-year-old man facing attempted murder charges avoided punishment when he died in a traffic accident, a court heard on Monday.
The Emirati man was charged along with two others - a 22-year-old Sudanese man and an Emirati, 24 - with attempting to kill a military officer and his friend with swords.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that on March 13, 2015, the Emirati victim and his Omani friend, whose ages were not given, were driving at 1am on Beirut Street in Al Qusais, Dubai, when they spotted smoke coming from a nearby vehicle and thought it was on fire.
“I tried to alert the defendants to the smoke when we stopped at the traffic lights but one of them told me that it’s not my business,” said the military officer.
The defendants then followed them then signalled for them to stop, he added.
“When we got out of the car, the defendants attacked us with swords. I was injured and my friend ran away but he was chased by two of the attackers, who shortly returned after failing to catch up with my friend, and all joined in attacking me with swords,” said the victim, who was hit on the head and shoulder.
“I heard one of them tell the others that he wanted to cut my head off.”
Thankfully, the officer managed to run away.
“I think they were high on drugs and drunk because they couldn't catch me when I ran away but I heard one ordering me to stop or he would chop my head off once he catches me,” he said.
In court, the defendants were faced with two counts of attempted murder, and with damaging property after allegedly smashing the windscreen of the victim’s car using their swords.
The Omani victim testified that he returned to his military officer friend when he saw from his hiding place that the attackers had fled.
“He was bleeding heavily. I called for an ambulance and reported the incident to police,” he said.
The court dismissed charges against the 26-year-old defendant after receiving his death certificate. The 24-year-old defendant was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail, while the Sudanese defendant was found not guilty of all charges.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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