DUBAI // A man who went berserk at the bowling centre where he worked — smashing windows, televisions and setting chairs on fire when his boss refused to change his visa status — has lost an appeal against a three-month jail term.
The 27-year-old Egyptian was working at Dubai Bowling Centre, in Al Quoz, but only held a visit visa. When the manager refused to offer him a residency visa after a few months, he started tearing the place up.
Prosecutors charged him with setting fire to the centre using a lighter, and with damaging property. The accused admitted that he smashed the centre’s glass windows, walls, doors, four sinks in its toilet and five TV screens, as well as three tables, a laptop, a computer, a printer and other items.
The damage caused was estimated at Dh156,250.
The Indian security guard at the bowling called police at 2am on February 2 after failing to restrain the man.
“He was smashing a lot of things then he poured a liquid on some of the chairs and set them ablaze,” said the guard.
Police and firefighters were dispatched to the centre, in Al Quoz, and the fire was put out.
“We saw him as he was damaging the place when we got there,” said a 38-year-old police officer, adding that when he was questioned the man told them he was destroying the place because he was angry at the prospect of having to pay the fines for overstaying his visa.
“Yes, I did burn the place and I damaged it,” said the defendant.
Dubai Criminal Court also ordered that he be deported after serving his sentence, a ruling that was also upheld at Dubai Court of Appeal on Thursday.
salamir@thenational.ae
