Weak evidence sinks parking dispute case

TDT | Manama

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A man accused of assaulting an artist and his son during a row over parking has been cleared, after judges threw out the case citing weak and muddled evidence.

The High Criminal Appeals Court upheld the lower court’s finding, which pointed to gaps in the prosecution’s claims and doubts that simply could not be brushed aside.

Scuffle

A key witness told investigators he saw the second defendant standing near the scuffle, trying to separate those involved.

That account was backed by the first defendant’s own confession, which stated the second man hadn’t thrown a punch, but had stepped in to break things up. The court said it could not ignore the doubt that clung to the case.

Doubt

The reasoning, based on Article 255 of the Criminal Procedure Law, made clear that where doubt lingers, guilt cannot be assumed.

In this case, the judges said they were far from certain and did not feel comfortable passing sentence.

The second defendant had denied the accusation from the start and maintained his position throughout. The judges found no firm ground to convict.

Dr Mohammed Al Kooheji, the lawyer representing the man, confirmed that the incident began with an argument over a parking spot.

Things escalated when the first defendant grabbed the artist, causing him to fall, then continued to punch him until bystanders stepped in.