DUBAI // A 33-year-old inmate set fire to other prisoners’ beds at Dubai Central Prison because he was upset at being moved from one ward to another.
Dubai Criminal Court convicted Emirati, A E, of starting fires at an inhabited place, deliberately damaging public property to the value of Dh650, and committing an act that poses danger to the lives of other people.
He was sentenced to serve an additional three months in jail and ordered to repay the cost of the damage to Dubai Police.
On July 22 last year, A E used a cigarette to set some mattresses on fire because he was upset that he was shifted to another ward.
Emirati policeman M S, 21, testified that it was 2.15pm when he was informed of the fire. He said he left his office and headed to the location of the fire. He said the corridor where the prison cell of the defendant was located was filled with smoke.
“I was heading there to search for the cell where the fire started, so I saw the defendant had placed a burning mattress in the middle of the corridor. I told him to put the fire off but he refused so I did,” said M S.
MS said that he asked the defendant’s brother — who is also serving time in jail — to convince A E to get out of his cell and tell them why he started the fire but the brother failed to do so. “Later he came out and said that he was upset because his sister came to visit and because he was moved from his ward,” said M S.
salamir@thenational.ae
