Dubai court upholds prison sentence in Business Bay knife attack case
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The Dubai Court of Appeal has confirmed a three-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of assaulting three men with a knife, issuing threats and using offensive language during a late-night incident in Business Bay.
Case records indicate that the altercation occurred at 2:45 a.m. on April 4, 2024, when the defendant, an Egyptian national, and an unidentified accomplice forced their way into a vehicle driven by another Egyptian national. The driver, having just finished work, was seated in his car when the accomplice opened the rear door, restrained him by the neck and allowed the defendant to enter the driver’s seat.
The victims’ testimonies revealed that the attackers demanded the driver take them to another location, peppering their commands with offensive language. When the driver refused and sought clarification, the accomplice brandished a knife and pressed it to the victim’s neck, reiterating the order.
The tense standoff lasted approximately 15 minutes, during which the victim attempted to alert bystanders by opening his sunroof and calling for help. Two Egyptian men in the vicinity heard the calls and intervened. One opened the rear door to assist but was attacked, sustaining hand injuries from the knife. The second man opened the driver’s door and managed to pull the defendant out, but the accomplice struck him across the face with the knife before fleeing the scene.
Police arrived shortly after the group restrained the defendant. Medical reports confirmed that the first victim suffered a stab wound to his thigh, the second had cuts to his hands and the third sustained a facial wound.
During questioning, the defendant denied the charges, claiming he was attempting to mediate a dispute involving his friend and had been injured in the commotion. However, the court deemed the victims' testimonies, corroborated by medical evidence, sufficient to uphold the conviction. The court sentenced the defendant to three months in prison, followed by deportation.