Man arrested while asleep ‘had no drugs on him’

A man was arrested while asleep in his car despite police not finding any drugs on him, in his car or house, the criminal court heard on Wednesday.

AH, from Egypt, had fallen asleep in his car when a policeman knocked on his door.

He was asked if he possessed pills of a certain drug and he said he did, however, police were unable to find anything after they searched him and his property. The policeman arrested him any way without an arrest warrant, a procedure only conducted if the defendant was caught in the act.

After his arrest, which his lawyer Fayza Moussa argued was invalid, his urine sample was found to contain hashish. So he was charged with consuming drugs.

“He was with a group of people and borrowed a cigarette from them. He then felt hungry so he went to a bakery, bought a sandwich and ate it in his car,” she explained.

“While he was eating he fell asleep; this proves that he was unaware of what he had consumed because for first timers it has a strong effect and it caused him to fall asleep.”

Therefore, the defendant did not have any criminal intent since he was unaware of what he had consumed.

Even when police and prosecutors asked him about the hashish percentage found in his sample, he said he did not know where it came from.

A verdict will be announced on July 1.