A man beat a woman at Global Village and threatened to slaughter her, calling her a witch, Dubai Criminal Court was told on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said that on December 21, the 37-year-old Palestinian man attacked the woman near the Kuwait pavilion, where she owns a shop, hitting her in the face before throwing her onto the ground and trying to choke her.
Records show that the Jordanian woman, a 47-year-old investor, had arrived at the shop when the accused entered from the back door and attacked her.
"He was screaming, saying I should repent because I was a witch and that he must slit my throat, then choked me so hard as he repeated 'you must die'," the woman told prosecutors.
She said he threatened to kill her in front of visitors and in front of police officers who arrested the man after being contacted by her shop employee.
The reason why the man attacked the woman was not disclosed in court records.
The woman told the court that since the incident, which left her with numbness on one side of her face, she has become paranoid, is unable to sleep and is seriously considering leaving the country.
"He was saying that he won't be taken to jail and if he was, it won't be for long and once he is out, he will come get me, so I'm just terrified that he will do so," she said in records.
A policeman said that, during questioning at the police station in Global Village, the man admitted that he had been planning to attack the woman.
"He said he even threatened to kill her if she did not drop charges against him in this case just before he was taken into custody," said the Emirati officer, 25.
The man was charged with three counts of issuing death threats and with physical assault.
A verdict will be issued on March 11.