AN intoxicated woman who appeared in a viral video during a fracas with police was sentenced to a year and 10 days in prison after being found guilty of hitting officers, calling them names and being a public nuisance.
Yesterday, the High Criminal Court also found the Egyptian guilty of illegally residing in Bahrain after her residency permit expired in March and fined her an additional BD50.
A recording that spread like wildfire on social media showed the expatriate engaged in an altercation with police on a walkway in the Seef District.
She denied assaulting and insulting policemen, damaging Interior Ministry property and being drunk in public. A fifth charge of ‘using force and violence against public employees’ was added against her last month following a charge-addition request by the Public Prosecution.
A 43-year-old policeman told the court that on July 14, at 6.20pm, officers were called to the scene after receiving notification of a car accident.
“When we arrived, we saw the defendant on the floor and she immediately got up when she saw us and ran away covered in blood,” he said.
“I was trying to prevent her from going on to the main road and wanted to help treat her wound, but she pushed me hard in the chest twice, ripping the police vest I was wearing.”
CCTV footage showed the 35-year-old pushing the officer and was used as evidence during the trial.
Contradicting police testimonies about the incident, her lawyer had earlier claimed that the defendant had been assaulted. Photographs later taken of her handcuffed to a hospital bed were attached to court files. They showed redness and bruising behind her ears, along with bruises on her wrist and ankles.
The GDN earlier reported that on the day of the incident, she claimed the accident was caused by excessive tree leaves. She also told prosecutors she was unaware that the drinks she had been served earlier at a steak restaurant contained alcohol.
“At 5.30pm I left the restaurant and I used the GPS navigation system to find my way home to Amwaj Islands,” she said. “While I was driving tree leaves got into my tyres and my vehicle stopped and I saw a policeman who opened the door of my car forcefully and started screaming at me.
“He then pulled me out of the car. All I remember is running away from the scene very afraid and I only hit those policemen because I thought they were the ones that had assaulted me and I was scared.”
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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