A SAUDI tourist is standing trial for allegedly cursing at police officers at a shopping mall, assaulting them and kicking one in the middle of his chest.
He appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday where the leading judge asked him how he pleaded to the charges.
The visitor from across the causeway admitted to yelling at the two policemen but denied assaulting them. “I did raise my voice at the policemen but I didn’t insult their honour,” he claimed.
The two Bahraini policemen in question, a 48-year-old chief corporal and a 32-year-old corporal, gave their account of the incident to prosecutors.
“We received a report about a group of people causing a ruckus in Bahrain City Centre’s parking spaces,” the chief corporal stated in his witness statement.
“Two were apprehended and were put in the patrol vehicle, when the defendant approached the police car.
“We asked him to show us identification but he refused to co-operate, started yelling and opened the door of the patrol vehicle.”
The policemen added that a physical struggle ensued, where the defendant allegedly pushed them ‘with great force.’
The Saudi, aged in his 20s, tried to flee from the scene, but the officers grabbed him by the arms in an attempt to hold him but he scratched at them and, the court was told, the police had to resort to using pepper spray.
Despite successfully getting the defendant into their patrol car, he resisted again and kicked the corporal in the middle of his chest.
In prosecution hearings, the accused said that he ‘did not mean’ to kick the policeman, and that he was upset at seeing his friends arrested.
“I said no, because I didn’t like it,” the suspect said in response to being asked why he didn’t present his ID to the police. The tourist was on a day trip to Bahrain with a group of friends. They had travelled by private car.
Security footage captured of the incident confirmed the policemen’s account, court documents said.
In the court documents, photographs of the mild injuries sustained by the policemen after the alleged attack were attached, along with medical reports. One complained of chest pains and the other suffered mild joint pain.
The defendant was taken to Exhibition Road Police Station and later charged.
The trial was adjourned to July 3, after the defendant’s lawyer asked judges for permission to present defence and prosecution witnesses.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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