Man who died following assault had heart condition, court hears

A forensic expert told Dubai Criminal Court that the victim died from his heart condition — not the assault

A man who died after being assaulted by his countryman had a chronic heart condition that actually caused his death, a forensic expert told Dubai Criminal Court.

On January 27, a 29-year-old Emirati defendant assaulted his compatriot while drunk. The victim — who had chronic cardiac ischemia — died immediately afterwards.

According to the medical report, prepared by forensic experts at Dubai Police, the defendant shoved the victim in his chest and hit him while screaming at him — which put the man in a state of panic.

In court, the defendant’s lawyer called forward the head of Forensic Medicine at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology at Cairo University, who studied the medical and forensic report and deduced that the death was caused by the man’s heart condition.

"Based on scientific facts, panic and severe emotional disturbance do not cause death on their own," said the forensic expert, who explained that there was no correlation between the physical injuries outlined in the medical  report and the cause of death.
Prosecutors charged the defendant with assaulting someone's safety and accidentally causing their death, illegally consuming alcohol and driving under the influence.
Prosecutors said the defendant did not intend to end the victim's life but assistant chief prosecutor Ahmad Al Attar requested the man be found guilty and handed the maximum penalty for assaulting a person's safety and accidentally causing their death. He also submitted a report from police and prosecution about the incident.
The victim's father attended the hearing and said he had filed a civil case against the defendant, seeking compensation.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 17 when lawyer Ali Al Shamsi will present his defence argument.