DUBAI // A driver who hit a man on the Palm Jumeirah was today sentenced to two years in prison.
The pedestrian NJ was drinking water outside a villa when a car driven by RS, a 37-year-old gardener from Pakistan, ran into him.
"I woke up to find myself in hospital," said the pedestrian, who was left with what medical reports described as a permanent five per cent disability in his leg.
The car also crashed into the nearby villa, knocking into a tree and two light poles and causing Dh500 worth of damage. Its owner, an American engineer, was not at home at the time.
The gardener's boss, SH, 37, told him that he would lose his job as the villa owner had requested - and the gardener responded by insulting his boss's mother and assaulting him.
The gardener denied charges of reckless driving and assault at the Dubai Criminal Court, but a waiver he presented was dismissed as it was signed by someone other than the victims. He will be deported after completing the prison term.
salamir@thenational.ae
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Director: James Wan
Starring: Jason Mamoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Rating: 2/5
Indika
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Publisher: Odd Meter
Console: PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox series X/S
Rating: 4/5
