Dubai student chops off fingers of two Pakistani men with sword

Dubai - The two victims sustained injuries in their hands and one of them lost a finger

A 20-year-old Emirati student faced trial on Thursday in the Court of First Instance on two counts of attempted murder.
According to prosecution records, the defendant attacked two Pakistani men with a sword during a road rage fight on June 4, 2016.
The two victims sustained injuries in their hands and one of them lost a finger while trying to protect himself.
"I was driving my car back from work at a hotel and had two colleagues with me around 5:30 am. We were heading to Deira when a 4WD car suddenly swerved across our lane. When we stopped at a traffic light the man in the front passenger seat of the other car threw a cigarette butt in our car," the 24-year-old first victim said.
 "Then that man stepped off and slapped me. His friend who was in the back seat attacked me with a sword. He aimed at my neck first and then at my chest. He chopped off my left thumb and injured my other fingers as I tried to cover myself with my hands.
"We fled the scene running as they chased us for some time. They went back later to their car and sped off".
The other victim, 25, said the defendant's friends swerved around their car several times. "We avoided them at the first traffic light after that. But at the next traffic signal, they stepped off and one of them attacked me and my friend with a sword. He cut part of one of my fingers and injured the others as I tried to protect myself".
A police sergeant said they received a report about an assault incident early on the incident day morning. "In the meantime, an Emirati man came to the police station and asked for an ambulance.
And he left without giving further details.
I learned later he was at hospital so I ordered guards on him. He claimed the victims initiated the attack on them with knives after their car (the victims') swerved in their direction," the officer said.
The sergeant added that the accused was changing his statement and giving contradictory information. "When I asked him about his injury he said he did not remember claiming he was then under the influence of alcohol".
 The court will release a verdict on March 13.
mary@khaleejtimes.com