Drunk Dubai tourists guilty of illegal drinking after police scuffle

Two drunk British tourists assaulted an undercover police officer who was trying to arrest a prostitute, a court heard today.

DUBAI // Two drunk tourists assaulted an undercover police officer who was trying to arrest a prostitute, a court heard today.

AG, 26 and JB, 20, both Britons, grabbed the policeman by his neck, swore at him and punched him in the face as they helped the woman to escape. The policeman's plight ended only when two passersby came to his rescue and helped him apprehend the men.

Prosecutors told the Misdemeanours Court that the two tourists were looking for a place to have breakfast in Al Mankhool at dawn on November 25 last year when they saw the policeman AS, 34, an Emirati, grab a European woman.

When they confronted him over what he was doing the officer, who was in civilian clothes, told them he was a policeman and that he was arresting the woman for prostitution.

"They wouldn't listen and one of them grabbed me by the neck while the other grabbed my face and they tried to free the woman and help her escape," recalled the policeman.

"I showed them my police ID and told them this was an arrest but they wouldn't listen and one of them punched me on the face while the other insulted me with foul language," he added.

Two Egyptians, TS, 37 and AH, drew up alongside the policeman while the two Britons were assaulting him and came to his rescue.

"The man being assaulted shouted at us seeking help and said he was a policeman," recalled one of the Egyptians. The pair got out of the car and helped the policemen restrain the two Britons.

"When the officer flashed his ID and then tried to handcuff them, one of them escaped but he was chased and arrested then both men started insulting the police officer," said the Egyptian.

Both the British tourists were taken to the police station where they were found to be drunk. Both denied assaulting the officer, saying they had intervened because they did not know the man was an officer or what he was trying to do.

"When they tried to handcuff me, I refused because I didn't know they were police but when I did, I willingly stretched out my hands and was cuffed," said one of the tourists.

"When I knew they were officers, nothing illegal happened from my side," said the other tourist.

No charges of assault were raised against either tourist, but both were found guilty by the Misdemeanours Court on a charge of illegally consuming alcohol and fined Dh2,000 each.