ABU DHABI // A man, who denied threatening a policewoman after she intervened in a domestic dispute, has had his acquittal upheld by the Federal Supreme Court.
On October 8, 2011, the man took his two daughters to see their mother, from whom he was separated, as part of an official court visitation order granted after their divorce.
The girls refused to leave their father’s car, and the mother ordered a female police officer, who was present as part of the visitation agreement, to forcefully bring her daughters to her.
The mother then claimed that the man threatened and held back the police officer, and said that he would sue his ex-wife in court.
The Sharjah First Instance Court found him guilty of threatening the officer and issued him a Dh5,000 fine.
He was also ordered to pay Dh21,000 as “temporary compensation” to his ex-wife, who had filed a civil claim against him, to be paid when the civil case reached the Civil Court.
The father appealed the verdict and was cleared of the charges.
Public prosecution then took the case to the Federal Supreme Court.
Prosecutors argued that the Appeals Court had ignored the statements of prosecution witnesses.
The Supreme Court rejected their argument, stating that it is up to the judge to decide which evidence is relevant to the final verdict.
Statements during the Appeal Court trial from the police officer involved in the incident said that the man did not threaten, touch, or harm her.
This was backed up by statements from a second witness.
The Supreme Court upheld the man’s acquittal.
hdajani@thenational.ae
