An angry motorist assaulted a Dubai Municipality employee and left him with partial hearing loss, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Monday.
The 51-year-old Pakistani man was driving in Dubai on February 26 when a Jordanian man, 24, sounded his horn then shouted at him to drive faster.
“Which I couldn't do,” the alleged victim told the court.
“He then crashed his car into mine from the back,” he said.
The victim said he got out of his car and began taking pictures of the accident as evidence.
The defendant then allegedly got out of his vehicle, screamed at him, then snatched the phone out of the victim's hand and assaulted him.
The Pakistani man told the court that the defendant punched him on his ear which affected his balance, so he fell to the ground before the man kicked his waist.
"We called police, but they couldn't come so we headed to Al Barsha Police Station where we were told to return to the location of the accident and wait for Bur Dubai police to arrive since the incident happened in Bur Dubai, so we did," he said.
A medical report showed the victim suffered a 10 per cent permanent disability due to the assault and partial hearing loss in his left ear.
In court on Monday, the accused denied a charge of physical assault and causing permanent disability.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 18.
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
