DUBAI // Four staff members of a Dubai hotel cafe beat up a customer so severely that he lost sight in one eye, Dubai Criminal Court was told.
The four, two waiters, Egyptians M S, 31, and S A, 34, and two security guards, Egyptian M O, 26, and Ethiopian K M, 30, were working at a cafe in the Broadway Hotel in Al Rigga. They were all charged with assault and causing a permanent disability to Emirati S A A, 26.
Prosecutors said that on September 12 last year, the Emirati was having shisha at the cafe and at about 2am, waiter S A asked him to pay the bill and leave. “He spoke to me with much arrogance and ordered me to leave,” said S A A. “I said I will in an hour when I am done, then asked him for more amber for my shisha.”
S A A told the court the waiter would not bring him what he requested and instead screamed at him, leading to an argument between the two.
“He was screaming that it was time for closing the place, then our screams attracted the other three men,” the Emirati told the court. “When they arrived, he shoved me and all of them started kicking me on the head and all over my body.”
S A A said he lost consciousness and later found out the four men had carried him outside the cafe and called for an ambulance. When he woke up the next day, he found himself at hospital with a serious injury to his right eye. “I underwent a surgical procedure but lost sight in my eye, after which I was called by the police to give my testimony,” S A A told prosecutors.
Investigations showed that the victim was hit on his right eye with an ashtray, prosecutors said, and a medical report confirmed that he was left with a 35 per cent disability.
The next hearing is expected to be on April 10.
salamir@thenational.ae
