‘Drunk driver tried to rape woman at late hour’

dubai — A drunk driver allegedly drove a bus off duty and without permission to roam around at night and then allegedly tried to rape a woman outside her building as she came back late from work, a court heard.

According to prosecution records, the 25-year-old Pakistani also assaulted the woman, a Tunisian, and bit her cheek when she tried to protect herself by pulling his hair.

He had to run away after stealing some of her belongings.

He faced charges including attempted rape, theft, assault, use of liquor without license, and using a bus without the permission of the Emirates Transport Authority in the Court of First Instance. He denied all of the charges but admitted he had consumed liquor that night.

The complainant, a 27-year-old sales manager, said that her flatmate threw her the gate’s electronic card to enter the building where she lived in Rashidiyah at around 3am on January 22. She had just come home from work and recalled having spotted a bus passing by her and being driven by the accused. She was picking up the card when she was suddenly attacked from behind by the accused.

“He grabbed my arms and stopped me from moving. I fought back and we both fell down. I pulled his hair while he tried to rape me”.

He grabbed my arms and stopped me from moving. I fought back and we both fell down. I pulled his hair while he tried to rape me

The man then bit her right cheek to make her let go of his hair. She said he ran away after stealing her mobile phone, sunglasses and Dh1,500. She wrote down the registration plate number of the bus which he drove away. She filed a complaint at the Rashidiyah police station.

The defendant was arrested from Terminal 2 of the Dubai International Airport.

He admitted to the police that he was driving a bus which he unlawfully took after stealing its keys. He spotted the complainant outside her building at a late night hour.

He stopped the bus and stepped off and followed her. He took advantage of the fact that she was busy picking up the card to take her back, grab her and hug and kiss her. He admitted that he wanted to rape her.

But he could not because she resisted him. She pulled his hair with force which made him bite her cheek. He then ran away but not without stealing some of her belongings which fell from her purse during their struggle.