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A violent drug-dealer who assaulted police officers and seriously injured one of them in a hit-and-run crash has had a 10-year prison sentence upheld by the Cassation Court.
The court heard how one policeman had his leg smashed by a car driven by the man as he thwarted an attempt to arrest him for selling and using psychotropic substances.
In 2022, the Public Prosecution charged the appellant, whose age and nationality were not revealed, for assaulting a captain and two other officers. Court documents described him as a ‘repeat offender’.
According to details of the incident, the officers were acting on confidential information from the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate stating that the defendant was in possession of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as shabu, with the intention of trafficking and using the substance.
After obtaining an arrest warrant from the Public Prosecution, the trio set out to arrest him and search his home. They arrived at the residence at around 3.15pm and, when he emerged, two of the officers approached him, wearing reflective Interior Ministry vests, and identified themselves.
The defendant did not comply with their instructions and instead he jumped into a car belonging to his brother. One of the officers approached the window, attempted to speak to him and was taken by surprise when the defendant reversed at very high speed.
The officer’s left leg was struck by a wheel and the defendant also collided with the police patrol vehicle, damaging its front end, before fleeing the scene. The injured officer was taken by ambulance to Salmaniya Medical Complex, suffering from fractures to the lower quarter of both the tibia and fibula. He underwent surgery to stabilise the injury using an intramedullary nail and two screws.
A forensic medical examination, together with a review of the medical records and X-rays, established that the injury was ‘traumatic’ in nature and caused by the collision.
The court heard that the officer continued to suffer chronic pain around the ankle after surgery. His condition was assessed as a ‘permanent disability’ of approximately 5 per cent.
A Public Prosecution order was made to apprehend the driver and confidential information from sources revealed that the defendant was hiding in Zinj, near a farm.
At 4am the following morning, he tried to flee the scene once again. The squad’s brave captain flung himself into the vehicle through the same door as another officer entered through the front passenger side. The defendant grabbed a piece of plastic containing a razor blade and attempted to assault the two officers with it. After a dramatic tussle they managed to knock it out of his hand, the court heard.
The captain then attempted to pull the defendant out of the vehicle to prevent him from escaping. The men fell to the ground and the defendant continued to resist arrest by repeatedly punching the captain.
The officers eventually managed to restrain and secure him in handcuffs. The defendant caused scratches and bruising to the captain’s right arm, left forearm and lower back. A lance corporal, who helped capture the fugitive during the car struggle, also suffered scratches and bruises to his left shoulder, upper left back and left side of the shoulder.
Following a trial at the High Criminal Court, the defendant was sentenced to life in prison. He filed a successful appeal and had his sentence reduced to 10 years.
Not satisfied, he filed an appeal with the Cassation Court, who upheld the sentence and a decade-long spell behind bars.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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