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Trial reprieve
By Noor Toorani
Published: 23rd June 2008
A DRIVER accused of attempted murder of two policemen had the charge reduced to assault and was jailed for three years by the High Criminal Court yesterday.
The 30-year-old Bahraini was charged with attempted murder by the Public Prosecution after allegedly deliberately driving his car into two policemen during the Eid and National Day holidays riots last December.
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Trial reprieve
By Noor Toorani
Published: 23rd June 2008
A DRIVER accused of attempted murder of two policemen had the charge reduced to assault and was jailed for three years by the High Criminal Court yesterday.
The 30-year-old Bahraini was charged with attempted murder by the Public Prosecution after allegedly deliberately driving his car into two policemen during the Eid and National Day holidays riots last December.
However judges reduced the charge to assaulting the Pakistani policemen, aged 23 and 35, while they were performing their duties.
Defence lawyer Isa Mohammed successfully argued earlier that attempted murder charge was flawed, since it was first required to show that the accused intended to kill someone.
He said his client, a government employee, drove by chance into the melee of a riot and therefore it could not be treated as attempted murder.
“To commit such a crime, one should have the intent and information about the whereabouts of the person he wants to kill,” said Mr Mohammed.
“But my client did not have any intent to kill and also did not have any information about the policemen.”
Mr Mohammed said his client had agreed with his two friends to go out to the Seef area for dinner.
“But when he was driving through that area, he was caught in a crowd of riot police and rioters in Sanabis area, with teargas all around and people running and shouting,” he said.
“My client drove on in order to pass through the crowd. Then my client collided with one policeman and turned his car to the left and unfortunately hit the other,” he said.
“One policeman suffered minor injuries as indicated in his medical report.”
The two Bahrainis, aged 20 and 17, who were in the car with the defendant, told the court earlier that they were caught in the rioting.
They said they were trying to get away when they were blinded by the teargas and the driver was hit by a rubber bullet.
The defendant was trying to get them out of danger when the car hit something but none of them knew what, said the two witnesses.
They said they sped off because they were frightened.
noor@gdn.com.bh
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© Gulf Daily News
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=221005&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=31095
