DUBAI // A prisoner who tried to kill himself by setting his clothes on fire was today sentenced to six months in prison.
AD, a 22-year-old Emirati, also caused Dh69,256 worth of damage to his cell at the Faqa detention centre after setting fire to one of his shirts during the suicide attempt in August last year.
The prisoner was charged with damaging the detention centre, endangering the lives of the policemen and trying to commit suicide.
He was the only detainee at the centre at the time and had asked for a transfer to the Bur Dubai detention centre. It was unclear how he started the fire - while he had asked a guard for a cigarette shortly before the incident, the guard had turned this request down.
When guards noticed the fire and rushed into the prisoner's cell they found him taking shelter in the toilet. He was then rushed to hospital while civil defence firemen extinguished the blaze.
The prisoner had made previous suicide attempts by cutting his wrists and hanging himself. He was said to be suicidal because he was away from his family. The reason for his original detention was not clear.
wissa@thenational.ae