Two neighbours are on trial for allegedly assaulting each other following an argument over a pet dog relieving himself.
A 41-year-old Filipina was walking with her dog in Hoora when a 73-year-old Bahraini claimed that he saw the dog urinating on his nephew’s car.
The man was upset and the two exchanged unkind words, the High Criminal Court heard yesterday.
According to the elderly defendant, the woman unleashed her dog on him, who in turn tore up his clothes, and whipped his face with the dog’s leash and spat on him.
The pensioner’s finger was fractured in the incident and the expat saleswoman was charged with unintentionally causing a one per cent disability and slandering the man in public.
The Filipina testified that the man had sparked the argument by hurling abuses at her, then went on to bite her hands and strike on her back with a traffic cone.
Her claims were supported by the medical examiner’s report, which noted human bite marks on both of her hands.
The court charged the man with insulting and assaulting the woman, but not causing a serious injury.
She admitted to hitting the Bahraini and cursing at him on a public road.
“I was out to throw the trash with my dog and I was cleaning him next to a vehicle,” she told the Public Prosecution.
“Suddenly, the defendant came to me and was screaming ‘why are you dirtying my car?’
“I responded that I didn’t do such a thing, and that he should review his security camera footage. But he was angry and told me that I would die. He then slapped my face and beat me up.
‘While he was hitting me, I defended myself by pushing him and hitting back. He bit my hands and picked up a traffic cone and started beating me with it.”
However, the elderly retired banker had a different story to tell and claimed that he saw the dog peeing on his nephew’s car.
“I asked the dog’s handler what she was doing – I said this was dirty and that it’s not right to do that,” he said.
“I warned her that I would report her to the authorities.
“She started yelling at me, saying that it has nothing to do with me, and also called me ‘girly’.
“She approached me and so I moved away, but she took the dog’s leash and whipped me with it.
“The dog also tried to attack me, but I pushed him away. He escaped the leash and ran away.
“I hadn’t touched the woman, but when she began her assault, I grabbed her hands so she wouldn’t hurt me,” he added.
A medical report states that the man suffered a fracture in the distal phalanx, or the top joint, of the middle finger of his left hand, accompanied with a sharp pain whenever he moved it.
The unhealed fracture and the pain are considered, by law, a one per cent permanent disability.
The hearing has been adjourned to April 27 for witness statements.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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