DUBAI // Three men attacked a police officer with a knife as they tried to make off with Dh1.6 million from a mobile-phone shop, a court heard.
Georgians P G, 26, G K, 36, and G M, 23, are charged with assaulting police officer A A after he and a colleague responded to an armed robbery at the phone shop in the Naif neighbourhood in November 2013.
A A told Dubai Criminal Court: “I saw one man running very quickly in a suspicious manner and chased him.
“He entered the shop and locked me out then he and two others came out of the shop, I was trying to reach for my gun when they attacked me.”
A A was beaten by the three men, who used sticks and their fists and then kicked him repeatedly when he fell to the ground.
“One of them then took out a knife, tore my uniform and injured me in the back of my neck,” said A A, who was left with a 35 per cent permanent disability after the knife injured his spine.
The three men fled the scene but one was arrested shortly after in Sharjah. It was not known how and when the other two were arrested.
Records show that the men entered the shop, “terrorised” employees and tied them up before demanding to know where the money was kept. It was not clear in records how police were notified of the robbery. No reasons were made available to explain why the case took so long to make it to court.
P G was not present in court to enter a plea while G K and G M denied the charges.
The next hearing will be on Sunday to summon P G.
salamir@thenational.ae