UK woman jailed after Dubai brunch ended in violence

A British resident was jailed for three months for her part in a restaurant fight that left a computer executive with a broken nose.

Asa Hutchinson, 22, was part of a group of three men and two women accused of assaulting a 54-year-old Swedish IBM executive last year.

The row started after they took a picture of him while he slept after a brunch.

Hutchinson and a 26-yearold man were subsequently charged with assault over the May 27, 2017 incident.

Both were convicted of assault and jailed by Dubai Criminal Court. The other members of the group were not charged.

Earlier, the court heard that the victim was asleep on a sofa at a restaurant in the Al Fattan Currency House in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

He was awoken by a slap to the face from one of the group and found them surrounding him and laughing, the court was told. He followed the group outside the building and threatened to call police.

The man later testified: “One of the men spoke to me in a tone as if I was at fault, then tried to hit me, so I pushed him.”

The victim said he was scratched by both women, with one of them snatching his glasses, before he was struck on the nose by one of the group.

A medical report revealed that the victim suffered a broken nose, finger and toe as well as scratches and bruises

Hutchinson, who was working for a global transport company in Dubai at the time, protested her innocence to the British press.

No deportation order was made in court.