ABU DHABI // A man accused of kidnapping a woman he picked up on the street, said he thought she was joking when she threatened to throw herself out of his car, the Appeals Court was told on Sunday.
The Chinese woman was allegedly offered Dh100 in exchange for sexual services, after the Emirati picked her up in his car.
She refused, and in protest started dangling her legs out of the car. She eventually fell out of the moving vehicle, injuring herself.
A passer-by confirmed that he saw the woman fall from the car and said the defendant drove off.
The Emirati, who denied kidnapping the woman, told the court: “I was driving home when I saw the woman and she signalled for me to stop and hitched a ride to the bus station.
“Then she offered herself in exchange for an amount of money. She said I will do this and that.”
Chief Justice Dr Khairi Al Kabbash interrupted the Emirati, saying the woman only spoke Chinese.
“She spoke English Chinese,” he replied. “I refused the offer and laughed about it.”
“Then she dangled her legs out of the car. I thought she was joking, like a child whose request was rejected, then she threatened to drop herself.
“The first time she did not fall, the second time she did not either, and I was laughing at her thinking she was playing around. The third time she fell by mistake, because her heel slipped from where she was holding it on to the car.”
He said he did not know what to do, but claimed the woman walked away, seemingly unhurt.
“She was taken by an ambulance,” said the judge.
The driver’s lawyer, Mohammed Al Khazraji, denied there was an ambulance involved in the incident.
“Then after I drove past two traffic lights, I found police waiting for me and they arrested me.”
“If I were in your place I would not accept this case,” the chief justice jokingly told Mr Al Khazraji.
The lawyer said that the woman was walking in the street before dawn to hunt customers near McDonald’s, Electra Street, which is open 24/7.
At The Emirati’s original trial at the First Instance Court he was given a suspended one-year jail sentence for causing the woman’s injury unintentionally, a Dh2,000 fine for drinking alcohol, and Dh500 fine for speeding.
A verdict will be announced on February 22.
hdajani@thenational.ae
RESULTS
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
