An Al Ain criminal court has convicted two men of assaulting a petrol station employee during a dispute over cleaning a vehicle’s windscreen, sentencing each to two months of community service and a AED 50,000 fine.
The incident began when the driver of the vehicle asked a station employee to clean his windscreen. When the employee explained there was a queue and asked him to wait, an argument broke out that escalated into a physical assault. The victim sustained bruises and pain documented in a medical report.
The court based its ruling on CCTV footage that captured the altercation in full, alongside confessions made by both defendants in court, witness testimony, and the medical report.
In its judgment, the court noted the convictions were handed down under UAE law criminalising the use of force or violence against public servants or those performing a public service while on duty. It added that the appropriate response to any disagreement is to use official channels, and that respect for the law is the only way to avoid legal liability.
As part of the sentence, both men are required to complete their community service at the same petrol station where the assault took place.
