Man on rape charge escaped from police bus as he feared death penalty, Dubai court hears

The man managed to wriggle free of handcuffs while in transit between court and his cell and was at large for two days.

DUBAI // A man who feared being given the death penalty for a rape charge escaped from a police bus after freeing himself from handcuffs.

K A, 32, then took off to Ajman in a car driven by M A, 29.

The bus was taking him and 12 others from court to holding cells at Al Rashidiya police station.

Dubai Court of Misdemeanours heard that the Comoros Islands passport holder is facing a rape charge at the Criminal Court.

He wriggled his hand free from a handcuff linking him to another prisoner before he made off, first in a taxi and then with his compatriot in the car.

The incident happened on June 12 as policeman A A, 52, was taking the detainees from the Dubai Courts complex to their cells.

The bus arrived at the police station and stopped in the car park, but before the officer managed to secure the detainees into their cells, the inmate escaped.

A A was accused of helping the detainee to escape, which he denied.

“I did not do that. I was assigned to carry 13 detainees and I had ask-ed for more officers to secure detainees at the time,” he told prosecutors.

The escaped inmate was in custody again two days later when police tracked down the car that had picked him up.

They also arrested M A, who was charged with aiding and hiding a detainee.

The escapee said he was told by a lawyer that he would be given the death penalty in his rape case, so he decided to flee.

When questioned by police, the driver said he did not know K A was on the run, but thought he was out on bail.

However, prosecutors said that the driver had confessed to helping his compatriot.

“I picked him up and asked him how he managed to escape. He told me that he was handcuffed to a Pakistani detainee and managed to cut loose then run away,” prosecutors quoted him as saying.

“He told me he hailed a cab from near the police station and headed to Al Tuwar, from where I picked him up.

“Then we both went to Ajman, where I was arrested two days later.

“KA told me that he had asked the policeman to loosen his handcuffs because they were tight and hurting him, and after the policeman did so he managed to escape.”

The negligence charge against the policeman was dismissed but the escapee was convicted and sentenced to six months, to be followed by deportation.

The driver was acquitted.