Woman who bit off fellow inmate's finger tip is jailed

Moroccan attacker claimed row was sparked by victim calling her a 'drama queen'

Powered by automated translation

A woman who bit off a fellow inmate's finger tip during a detention centre brawl will spend six months behind bars.

The two women were in custody awaiting respective trials, the details of which were not disclosed in court, when violence broke out on November 28.

The two women gave differing accounts over what sparked the incident.

The Tunisian said tempers flared when she admonished the other woman for spitting on the floor, only for her to hurl abuse at her in return.

"When I told her to stop spitting and cursing me, she grabbed my hand and bit off the tip of my finger,” said the Tunisian woman.

The Moroccan attacker, 38, said she launched the assault on Tunisian victim, 43, in self defence.

“I was on the phone when she called me a drama queen for crying all the time," she said.

She said the argument between the two escalated as they returned to their cells.

“She grabbed me by the mouth so I just defended myself when I bit her,” said the Moroccan, who denied charges of physical assault, causing permanent disability and issuing insults at Dubai Criminal Court.

She was convicted on all counts and will be deported once she has served her jail term.

The Tunisian woman will face a charge of issuing insults at the Court of Misdemeanours