Man threw acid over ex-wife in her work office ‘in murder attempt’

Emirati admits to carrying out the acid attack on the mother of his five children but denies he was trying to kill her.

DUBAI // A jobless Emirati poured sulphuric acid on his former wife, causing her second and third-degree burns to 80 per cent of her body, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Sunday.

“It was wrong what I did to the mother of my five children and my ex-wife of 15 years but I didn’t mean to kill her,” said man, 44.

He told the court that he had been in detention for two years already and begged for bail. “I swear I won’t come near her or my children,” he said.

On September 9, 2015, the man attacked his former wife at her office at Nad Al Sheba Health Centre.

“I called the security but they couldn’t stop him,” the woman said. “Then he locked the door from inside before he took out a green shampoo bottle and poured its contents on me.”

One of the security guards told the court: “When I managed to get into the office she was in a very bad condition and the defendant was putting some yoghurt on his hand because he got burnt by the acid as well.”

The Egyptian guard, 32, immediately called police.

“He was repeating that he wished he had killed her and got it over with. When asked why, he said he was free to do what he wanted,” testified an Emirati lieutenant, 25.

The woman and her attacker were rushed to hospital. She had several reconstructive operations to her face, head, neck and parts of both her legs, the last of which was on February 3 this year.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 2 and the man will remain behind bars until then as his bail request was rejected.