A 36-year-old reveller is on trial at the High Criminal Court on charges of assaulting police officers, disrespecting them in the line of duty and being drunk and disorderly in public.
A policeman testified that the defendant called them names as they approached him, describing them as ‘dogs and donkeys’.
When confronted with the charges, the Saudi visitor pleaded not guilty and claimed: “I don’t remember anything, but I would never lay a finger on the police because I deeply respect them.”
The August incident took place at 1am in front of a popular pharmacy on Hoora’s Exhibition Road.
“I was sent to check out a traffic accident with my police partner,” one of the alleged victims, a 34-year-old officer, told the Public Prosecution.
“I saw the defendant exchanging blows with another person, blood marking their clothes. I summoned the defendant and he ran away. I chased after him and he slammed me onto the patrol vehicle.
“We managed to get him into the police car but he spat on my partner and kicked him.”
The officers had to use pepper spray to subdue him, the court heard, and when he underwent a blood alcohol test at the Police Fort Clinic the results confirmed he was intoxicated.
Although the defendant admitted to prosecutors that he was ‘drunk in public’, he claimed to have no memory of the incident.
“I was fighting with my brother but we made up and I hold no grudges against him,” the Saudi earlier testified. “I may not remember what went on that night but I do know that I have immense respect for men of the law, and also have nothing against them.”
The hearing was adjourned to September 29 to allow the defence team to study the trial papers and formulate a response.
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