Student jailed over fatal punch in 5-star hotel
Dubai: A student has been sentenced to two years in jail for being responsible for the unintended death of a realty broker when he punched him on his head in a restaurant.The 22-year-old Emirati student, K.K., walked from his seat towards the Indian broker, who was accompanied by his uncle and friends at the restaurant, and punched him in the head in August.
Dubai Police’s forensic examiner confirmed that the victim died due to severe cerebral haemorrhage and shock.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted K.K. of assaulting the broker and causing his death without intending to do so despite his having entered a not guilty plea.
Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi also referred the civil lawsuit lodged by the lawyer of the victim’s family to the Dubai Civil Court to look into their emotional, moral and financial claims.
An Indian waiter testified in court the assault happened shortly after the Emirati asked him to ask the victim and his friends to stop taking photos at the restaurant of a five-star hotel in Jumeirah.
“The victim and his three companions were sitting at one table while the defendant and a woman were seated at another. After dinner, the victim and his friends were taking photos with their mobile phones. The defendant got annoyed so he called me and asked me to ask the victim and his companions to stop clicking photos. I informed the victim and his companions that the defendant was annoyed because they had taken too many photos and asked them to stop. They told me it was not his business and that they had taken photos for themselves. I was surprised when I saw the defendant walking towards them … he had a heated argument with the victim before he punched him. The victim fainted immediately and fell down. We tried to revive him with wet towels … but he remained unconscious,” claimed the waiter.
K.K.’s lawyer argued before presiding judge Al Shamsi: “My client did not assault the victim and he cannot be liable for his death. He just confronted the deceased and asked him to stop clicking photos because he and his fiancee [the woman who was present with the defendant]. The medical reports did conclusively confirm that the victim died because of the assault. Witnesses also confirmed that the paramedics and some of the hotel’s staff, who had tried to resuscitate the victim, were the ones who had caused bruises to his body whole attending to him medically and attempting to perform CPR procedures.”
Records said the restaurant’s Egyptian manager prevented the accused from leaving the premises and kept hold of his Emirates ID until the police came.
The Indian broker was pronounced dead, according to records, a few hours after he was taken to hospital where all efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
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