Man assaulted woman in lift, court hears

A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman by hugging her in a lift said the Canadian drunkenly embraced him first.

The Egyptian accused claims the woman was convinced to go to police and file a case against him by their landlord, who has a grudge against him.

His lawyer told Dubai Criminal Court that when the incident occurred, on May 26, the two lived at an apartment building in Barsha and that they knew each other but were not in a relationship.

“First of all, your honour, my client did not sexually assault this woman, who in fact had dropped charges,” the laywer said.

“She hugged him first and she was drunk at the time. Then the landlord, who has a problem with my client and doesn’t like him, called her three days later and convinced her to file a report against my client.”

He said the landlord told the woman, who is an engineer, that the Egyptian man was a sex offender and had molested another tenant.

“He convinced her that what she thought was an innocent hug was actually a sex assault. So she called police four days later and she ended up being charged with consuming alcohol, because she was also drunk at the time she called police,” the lawyer said.

In her affidavit, the woman said the man was drunk and began talking to her when they entered the lift.

“He told me he was sad and needed a hug.”

She said she felt sorry for him and patted his shoulder, but he pulled her towards him and pressed his body against hers. “I pushed him away and screamed at him, then he said inappropriate things to me,” she said.

The defendant denied the charge and said he and the woman were friends and often chatted on WhatsApp.

Police said CCTV footage showed the two hugging outside the lift.

“Then the defendant tried to hug her a second time but she didn’t allow him, after which they shook hands and each went on their way,” an officer said.

The trial was adjourned until September 6.