Man who attacked Dubai father and special-needs son has sentence reduced

Emirati set about pair with a meat cleaver after the boy had walked into the attacker's home unannounced and uninvited.

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DUBAI // A man who was sentenced to five years in absentia for attacking a neighbour and a child with special needs with a meat cleaver has now had his sentence reduced to six months.

Emirati A H, 24, was not present for the first trial so, as per UAE law, he was granted a retrial where a three-year sentence was handed down. However, he appealed and Dubai Court of Appeal has now reduced it further to six months.

The Emirati was convicted of attacking the father and son on November 10, 2012, leaving them both with permanent disabilities.

The special-needs child knocked on the attacker’s door on the date in question and walked into the house uninvited.

The boy’s father, A M, came to take his son and apologised to the defendant’s family for his son’s behaviour. But as he was walking out of the house, the attacker arrived in a Nissan Maxima.

He chased the father with the meat cleaver and then swung at his arm, causing A M a severe cut that nearly took off his hand.

The Emirati then went to the victim’s house, where he hit the child on his left arm with the meat cleaver.

The father was left with a 25 per cent permanent disability, while the son suffered a two per cent permanent disability.

A police officer saw the incident and called for back-up, who arrived and sent the injured to hospital while arresting A H.

salamir@thenational.ae