Man gets bail after eight months in jail

A Palestinian man who spent eight months in prison for an assault that led to the death of his HIV positive Emirati friend was freed on bail.

The Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday granted the bail requested by EA’s lawyer Yusuf Hamad.

He spent time in jail for unintentionally causing the death of his friend GS, whom he assaulted following an argument over a Russian woman they had known.

The 40-year-old Palestinian, who worked as a manager, had allegedly pinned down GS on the floor with his knees and repeatedly punched on the face that caused severe bleeding.

Medical reports produced in the court had confirmed that the Emirati man had several complications from his immune deficiency caused by the HIV positive condition.

Since he was suffering from pneumonia and kidney problems, the man later died of renal failure, pneumonia and bacterial poisoning.

Defending himself before the court of Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir Fahmi, EA said he did not beat GS to kill him. He also faces charges of consuming alcohol.

The case has been adjourned to December 12 to hear prosecution witnesses.

During the investigations GS’s brother OS had testified that his sister had told him the man had returned home at midnight and appeared to have been beaten up since he was bleeding from his nose and ear.

He said his mother corroborated the fact that GS’s shirt was soaked with blood, but he claimed to have fallen off a motorcycle and just wanted some rest. But the situation worsened the following day when he was found to have vomited blood but refused hospitalisation.

He was taken to a hospital two days after the incident. He died the next day.

Since he had uttered the suspect’s name while in bed, investigations led to the calls from two numbers he frequently received. That led police to the Palestinian man and the Russian girl who made those calls.

The suspect later admitted to police that he along with GS and the girl had consumed liquor at a pub. The victim who was in an inebriated state had assaulted the girl, which led the two men into the argument and then the fistfight.