Dubai: Dubai Appeals Court upheld the five-year sentences of five bootleggers who ganged up against two blacksmiths, assaulting them with sticks and leaving one of them dead.
The five Indian suspects were selling alcohol illegally in a sandy area in Al Quoz at night when the two Egyptian blacksmiths walked up to them in December last year.
The Indians, aged between 25 and 28, took out sticks and assaulted the blacksmiths.
The two Egyptians tried to run away but the attackers chased them and rained blows on them until one of them dropped down unconscious.
The other blacksmith, aged 47, got away and fled to his labour accommodation.
He gathered his coworkers and went to check on his friend and when they reached the sandy spot, they saw police cars, an ambulance and pedestrians gathered there.
Medical reports said attempts to revive the unconscious man did not succeed.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendants of unintentionally causing the death of the man by beating him with sticks. They were also convicted of beating the 47-year-old and causing head and back injuries.
A police lieutenant testified that primary interrogations led to the arrest of the five suspects.
“During questioning, the defendants claimed that the blacksmiths and two others had been posing as policemen and taking away the proceeds from their sale of liquor. Then the blacksmiths and others ganged up against them and assaulted them to stop them from taking the proceeds of their liquor sale,” the police officer said.
The five accused will be deported following the completion of their jail term.
