A transit passenger who was questioned about not having a passport after landing in Dubai lost his temper and beat up a police officer, a court has heard.
The 26-year-old defendant admitted physically assaulting an officer when he appeared in court on Wednesday morning. “I’m so sorry for what I have done and I wish I can apologise to the man in front of the honorable court,” said the Uzbek.
On May 31, the accused arrived at Dubai International from Egypt for a 14-hour layover before returning to his home country.
While waiting in Terminal 1, he was stopped by a police officer, who asked him for his passport.
“I didn't have my passport because I lost it while I was in Egypt and I was issued a travel document to be able to return home,” said the defendant.
He added that he had lived in Egypt for a few months but overstayed his visa after he lost his passport and he was eventually arrested and deported.
The 24-year-old police officer said the Uzbek was waiting in the airport police office when he first saw him, as he had been called in for not having a passport.
“I received a call from national security asking me for specific details I didn't know so I called for the accused to come and asked him to provide me with the data,” said the officer. “He answered them and, when I hung up, he asked me why I didn't want to help him.”
The officer told him that it is his job to help. However, the accused “got up, shut the door, then threw a chair at me followed by a strong punch to the face, which caused me to lose balance and fall”.
“He immediately sat on top of me and started punching me repeatedly on the face, causing me to bleed,” said the officer, whose colleagues then came to help.
When the other officers arrived, the defendant stopped his assault by himself and returned to his chair as if nothing happened, said the officer.
The accused later told prosecutors that he was held in an unclean room for long hours and when he was later called in for questioning by the officer, the two argued then he lost his temper and hit him.
A medical report said the officer suffered a deep cut above the left eye and from bruises and swelling.
The defendant admitted his offence at Dubai Criminal Court and asked for mercy.
A verdict is expected on August 27.