DUBAI // An incident of road rage that escalated into an assault and stabbing has cost a 19-year-old Emirati two years and nine months in jail and a Dh10,000 (US$2,720) fine. The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance yesterday added six months to the original 27-month jail term that it passed on the man, MA, last year. He was charged with assault leading to permanent disfigurement, assault leading to illness and incapacity, placing other people's lives in danger and committing a scandalous public act.
MA's co-defendant, SR, a 19-year-old stateless person, was given a 15-month prison sentence and fined Dh5,000. Both assaulted JA, a 37-year-old Pakistani, and his companion, MI. JA was also charged with showing SR his middle finger thereby committing scandalous public act and had been given a one year suspended sentence, which was overturned on appeal. The Dubai Appeal Court in January sentenced JA to one year and three months in jail, fined him Dh5,000 and ordered him deported from the country after serving his sentence.
JA had earlier told prosecutors that while he was riding in the front passenger seat of his companion MI's pickup truck in Aug 2006, a vehicle was moving very slowly in front of them in the fast lane and the driver refused to give way. He said that the driver, MA, was waving at them to overtake from the right and was showing his middle finger. JA said MI overtook the car but after a few meters MA's car cut in front of them and stopped suddenly, forcing MI to brake abruptly.
JA said both SR and MA got out of the car and approached MI's pickup. MA took out a knife and stabbed JA on his arm and MI on his hand, while SR punched MI in the face. He also said that a third, unidentified man joined SR and MA in assaulting him and MI before they all got into SR's car and fled. hbathish@thenational.ae