Drunken man stole taxi and crashed it into villa before attacking police

A drunken man who stole a taxi and crashed it into a villa before assaulting police officers who came to arrest him was handed a one-year jail sentence.

The Moroccan, 24, spent the night drinking before hailing a cab to take him to Mirdif, Dubai on September 13 last year.

After arriving at his destination, he got out of the vehicle to get cash to pay the driver.

But when the driver got out of his taxi while waiting for payment, the offender jumped into the driving seat and sped off, only to smash into a nearby property.

The taxi driver alerted police, only for the intoxicated car thief to hurl abuse and attack them when they arrived.

Police eventually managed to bring the man under control and arrest him.

“He repeatedly kicked the back door of the police patrol as we were trying to get him inside of it,” said a policeman.

The man denied charges of assaulting and insulting police officers, assaulting a taxi driver, damaging property, consuming alcohol and drink driving when he appeared before Dubai Criminal Court.

However, he was convicted of the assault charges and ordered to serve a year in prison, to be followed by deportation.

He will be referred to the Court of Misdemeanours to answer the remaining charges.