A drunk thief was left brutally beaten following a vicious attack by five men in Dubai.
The 30-year-old man suffered multiple skull fractures after stealing three mobile phones, several pairs of sunglasses and a gold chain.
Cornering the man outside a supermarket, the five men, from Vietnam, set about beating him with a sword and a metal bar.
Dubai Criminal Court heard police later charged the gang, aged between 19 and 34, with physical assault causing permanent disability.
“They were assaulting him with sharp weapons,” said a female motorist who witnessed the attack.
“I saw one of them carrying a sword and the victim was waving with a knife to scare them off.”
The incident happened in Al Muraqqabat, Dubai, on May 3 last year. Earlier that day the thief had met his attackers at a flat and stolen their belongings.
Officers said the man had been drunk at the time of the offence. In court, he denied theft and consuming alcohol.
The five Vietnamese men did not enter a plea after officials failed to locate a translator.
The hearing was adjourned until July 8.
